The Forgotten
by Rhagar
Summary: After the war, Naruto is flung to Thedas in the middle of turbulent times. With no way back home, he quickly realizes things are not as easy as they seem and problems start piling up. Naruto will have to survive in a world where the drums of war hail the arrival of a new era. Slowly goes from canon to AU, relatively slow pace. Rated M.
1. Prologue

This is the rewritten version of the prologue. My beta believed the original version was far too big with several unnecessary parts and I agreed with him. The end result is a heavily edited version with a 70% of it rewritten from scratch. Some things have been changed.

Most of the original notes are left untouched:

This is going to be a fairly AU fic, diverging from canon as we know it the further we progress. The events of Naruto/Naruto Shippuden are also AU, but you won't find the full extent of such changes, as it has been mostly left to your imagination. However, some of them will be stated throughout the story, so it could give you an insight into Naruto's previous life.

Pace of the fic is relatively slow.

Pairing is a possible Fem!Surana/Naruto. Don't expect them to be making babies anytime soon, though. _If _they do end up together, it will take pretty long, so don't expect an overwhelming amount of romance in this fic.

The chapters won't be lower (almost always) than five thousand words long.

If you ever need to ask something or point out a detail about anything, feel free to contact me.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Disclaimer<span>**: I do not own either Dragon Age: Origins or Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

**Of Endings and Beginnings**

A blob of blood left his mouth as he writhed in pain. His arms were shaking noticeably and he had to make a conscious effort to keep himself upright.

He was Naruto Uzumaki , the last Jinchûriki. He was Naruto Uzumaki and he was on the verge of defeat.

"You see now? My power is unmatched, you simply can't hope to surpass the sheer chakra output of seven Tailed Beasts," his opponent stated confidently, folding his arms in front of his chest. He was not even worried about being attacked while he took his sweet time gloating. The only who could even hope to have a chance at that was lying at his feet in a bloody heap, after all.

"Ugh… ne-never! Power… isn't everything that there is to fighting, Madara," the blond Uzumaki growled.

"Quite right," Madara agreed amicably. "That's something many in this generation don't seem to understand. However, raw power on a certain level… trumps over anything else," he proclaimed as a potent burst of chakra created a deep crater around him. "Look around you, Naruto! Out of everyone who stands against me, you are the only one left that could pose a challenge to me. And you failed! You can't hope to defeat me in such a state, boy. You stood up to me and managed to injure me many times, something that few apart from Hashirama could boast about accomplishing. You have gained my respect… but you can't win, Naruto. Just give up, surrender and let me use the Infinite Tsukiyomi."

"You've got to be… kidding me." Naruto groaned, gritting his teeth in pain as his various injures flared up.

"Is not the chance to see those of your friends that died worth enough? Is not the chance to be with her once more reason enough, Naruto? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Don't you dare talk about her!" the blond ninja roared with pure hatred. "You've got no right! You don't get to talk about me as if you know me!"

Madara shrugged carelessly, looking around at the scorched field they had battled on. "Don't be foolish, young Uzumaki. If you refuse, I'll simply rip Kurama from your gut by force. It makes no difference to me, really..." Madara mused before gaining a far away look in his eyes. "I don't really have anything against you, you know. You're only the product of your era; had you been born in the Warring Clans era, before all the hidden villages, I'm sure you would have become even more deadly than you are now. A legend, even, on par with Hashirama and myself… All the glorious fights that could have been... Sadly, the end of constant strife and fighting softened the Shinobi as a whole, no matter how many wars the world has been through since the Warring Clans era," the elder Uchiha finally sentenced, starting to walk towards him. "However, that soon shall end. With Infinite Tsukiyomi, everyone will finally reach the ultimate understanding. There will be final, everlasting _peace_."

'_Kurama… I need you to give me some more chakra. Just a little for one last shot,' _Naruto thought, getting a grunt of assent from the Bijû.

'_**Yeah, yeah, just shut him up, brat. I really tire of his endless yapping.' **_

Setting into his usual stance with difficulty, Naruto held open a palm and started gathering chakra on it, quickly forming into a Rasengan. Seeing it, Madara stopped dead in his tracks, though he didn't seem overly worried about the attack.

"Another Rasengan? You should have realized something that simple won't work on me after the fifth attempt," he shook his head with amusement before growing serious. "One trick ponies are the first to die, after all… Still, if you're so eager to die… then I shall humor you," he stated, his hands flying through several handsigns.

Naruto chuckled to himself, not even bothering to try and move out of the way. He wouldn't be able to do it in time, anyway. He was too tired and beaten to move quickly enough. The only option was to stand and resort to his last ditch effort as he kept gathering chakra for the Rasengan. Either he'd be faster and throw the attack or he wouldn't and he'd receive Madara's attack head on. Either way, everything would be over.

Madara proved faster.

"**Katon: Gouka Mekkyaku**!" The elder Uchiha's attack would have worked fine in normal circumstances but as Madara opened his mouth to spit the attack, Naruto was able see his eyes widening in shock… just as the attack blew up in his face.

Blinking in muted surprise, Naruto could say that was definitely something he hadn't been expecting but he didn't let that deter him from his efforts. The Rasengan was quickly getting everything he had left and it was already turning into a rapidly-growing Rasenshuriken. Meanwhile, Madara emerged from the deflagration scathed and burnt all over... but very much alive and the scowl on his face didn't promise anything good.

"Your luck is beginning to _really_ grate on my nerves, Naruto. It would appear the Beasts see in you a friend and are actively hampering me from the inside… No matter, I will make them respect their master after I'm done with you." His voice was calm, but the dark undertone in it belied the feeling. He was not bothered at all by the Rasengan, which was already finished.

With his senses dulled from exhaustion, Naruto moved one second too slow. In a flash, Madara was in his face, holding his wrist above his head in a dead-lock with one hand and his throat with the other. "Did you really think you could defeat me with this?" He smiled. "You might have wounded me quite a bit but I still can move faster than you. You fought well… but not good enough. It's over, Naruto."

"I… promised her I would… end this war. I…" the Uzumaki grunted.

"Never go back in my word, I'm aware. Your stubbornness is… commendable. Still, you're defeated. Resisting further is pointless; I will extract the nine tails from you now. The Infinite Tsukiyomi will be finally completed."

However, Naruto only smirked. "Too late for that, Madara," he mocked and this time it was the elder Uchiha who reacted too slowly to the commands of his brain, which had caught up quicker than his body. Two arms seized him in a lock, making him let go of Naruto.

'_Oh, I can't feel my legs…'_ he observed indifferently as if it was no bother, though to his credit it really wasn't. "Do you really think a clone can hold me? You're more delusional than I thought," he replied. Dispelling the clone with a brutal reverse headbutt, he wasted no time in going after Naruto, who had jumped back after the clone's appearance to fire the Rasenshuriken, but Madara was almost on him already.

He wouldn't have the time to get away from him. In the following fraction of a second, he realized that there was really no turning back. The stakes were raised to the maximum and it was time to end the war, one way or another. Just as Madara reached him, Naruto closed his eyes and unleashed his final jutsu.

'_Rasenshuriken!' _

The improved version of his dad's original jutsu quickly engulfed them both, already beginning to work on their bodies. Amidst all the pain, Naruto couldn't help but realize this was his last stand. He could hear Madara's screams of pain but they sounded faint, as if he was really far away from him.

'_This is it. This is the end. Everybody, this is for you.'_

For Sakura, who had readily given her life protecting an entire camp of wounded soldiers. For Chouji, who sacrificed himself to seal Chûkichi. For Neji and Tenten, who died together fighting against an entire platoon of White Zetsus.

Naruto couldn't help the scream of agony when one of the tiny chakra blades cut particularly deep into his right arm. He detachedly realized that this is exactly what everyone who'd been on the receiving end of the technique had felt.

For Kakashi, who still treaded the fine line between life and death almost a year into the war after having fallen into a coma from his fight against Chiyo, Kimimaro and a squadron of White Zetsus. The only reason he was still alive was that Gain and Darui reached to him quick enough but the doctors told everyone concerned that they couldn't assess how long would he be in coma.

For Jiraiya, who had become something akin to a father figure through the years. Perhaps after Madara's death, his vision of peace would finally be achieved.

He was doing this for Bee, who had also been captured. His was one of the deaths that hit Naruto the hardest. As fellow Jinchûriki, they had formed a bond of kinship that no one could really understand, apart from Yugito, the only other surviving Jinchûriki. It spoke highly of Kumo's military prowess and training that their two Jinchûriki had survived through everything up to that point but after Bee's fall, Madara's victory had been a little closer.

Only Kurama and Nekomata had remained… for a time.

For Mei, who was always trying to find new ways to cheer up the men and women under her direct command. When he'd been placed on her platoon, she had always had kind words for him whenever he'd felt down…

He was doing this even for Sasuke. The last Uchiha from the latest generation had died at his own hands and while he knew it had been something that had to be done –Sasuke would not stand down, damn it, why would the stupid prick not stand down?!-, there was the tiniest sensation of remorse for everything that happened between them. He felt as if he should've done more.

So many more had died, so many had had their lives cut short because of Madara's crazy schemes… He was doing this for them.

But he also did this sacrifice for those who still lived, for those who believed he could end this once and for all.

For Lee, who would still sprout random shit about youth and train his body to insane limits long after the war ended, just like his sensei Gai did. For Shikamaru, just so he could find a nice girl, settle down and mutter 'Troublesome' to his heart's content every time his future kids caused any ruckus or his own wife bossed him around. For Grandma Tsunade, so she could drink and gamble as much as she wanted. For Ino, who had struck the oddest friendship ever with a serious ANBU operative from Konoha with purple hair.

For Gaara, who had achieved what had been the closest thing Naruto had to a dream, even if he never really thought actively about it too much. He would keep his people's love and recognition for many years and he would serve them well as Kazekage. He was sure of it and it made him happy for him, the first person who he'd related to on a very intrinsic level. For Temari, who didn't really scold Shikamaru as much as she used to and everybody knew it was just a matter of time.

Everyone in the Elemental Nations was counting on him and he would not fail them.

Ultimately, the pain was too much, however, and his mind fled reality, taking shelter in memories of happier times. His mind retreated within itself, into its last fortress.

**xxOOOxx**

The droplets of water falling into the floor were the only sound present in the silent chamber as they stared at each other.

"**You know this wasn't supposed to end like this, right?**"

"It's still more than we hoped for, Kurama. Madara was just outrageously overpowered from the very beginning. He practically had everything going his way with all the bullshit powers of the Sharingan and Rinnegan. The only reason I killed him was because his arrogance made him think I wouldn't go through using the Rasenshuriken to blow us both up."

"**Well... at least, he's dead.**"

"There's that, yes."

Kurama's muzzle twitched in annoyance at Naruto's passivity. "**Moreover your remaining friends are all alive. They will rut like rabbits and have ugly little babies just to become dust with time. They will be forgotten by the end of three centuries and nobody will no longer care about boring history no one's interested in but oh, well... such is life.**" Kurama mused with an air of indifference. Glancing surreptitiously at Naruto, the chakra construct could see he only was looking at him with a mildly amused expression. "**Ugh, I hate it when you give me that look. Shouldn't you be more upset with your own death than, you moron?**"

Making a non-committal grunt, Naruto shrugged. "I don't see why I should be upset. We killed Madara, the world is saved, and everyone who's still alive is safe now," Naruto said as if that was all that mattered. To him, it probably was.

Kurama only stared at him with a displeased grimace on his bestial face. "**So you're just gonna lie down like a pansy ass and wait for your death? I didn't know you were such a coward, running away from an entire life, Naruto,**" the last of the Tailed Beasts mocked him, trying to get a rise out of his Jinchûriki.

However, Naruto only chuckled before any levity on his face was replaced by a deep sadness. "How could I even begin to live when I've lost the woman I wanted to spend my life with?" he questioned. "She was the one I wanted as my equal in everything. Yugito was the one for me, Kurama."

"**The one for you? I would laugh at your face if it wasn't for the fact I'd lose badass points if I laughed at something _you_ said. Many say the same thing for their chosen companions, brat, but they always end up with someone else if the other dies or leaves them! Very few things in this world are eternal, you hairless ape. I, of course, am one of those. Then again, what could you expect from awesomeness personified?**" Kurama boasted with a booming laugh, earning an amused snort out of the blond ninja. "**Besides, you're under the assumption I'm just gonna sit here and let you die like that…**" he continued, giving Naruto an unreadable stare.

"… No, Kurama, I'm tired. I just want this to end and go on to whatever waits me on the other side. Is that too much to ask?"

"**Absolutely. I'm not about to let you die here if I can do anything about. Had it not been for me, your corpse would have been festered by maggots long ago, no way I'm letting all my work go to waste like that!**"

"Oh? Do tell, then. How are you going to save the day today, Kurama?" Naruto asked him with amusement, and the both of them knew he was only entertaining him.

"**Doubting my word, eh, boy? No matter, you will realize for yourself the sheer awesomeness that is my pure existence! When you see what I'm about to do, you'll shit your pants just from awe alone!**"

"That... was just painful. Could we just get this going? We'll kick the bucket sooner or later, so…"

"**Don't interrupt me, damnit; I was getting to that part! Anyway, with our powers, we Bij****û**** are practically able to do almost everything your tiny mind could think of. Don't snort brat, I'm serious here, why do you think the J****û****bi was a being outside of mortal understanding?! So, with a great amount of our powers, we could even rip the fabric of creation itself. We create a way to other universes, for simpler minds,**" he explained with an amused chuckle.

"Fuck you too, furball," Naruto shot back with a small huff.

"**Bite me! Anyway, bottom line is, I'll use my remaining reserves of chakra to create a fissure in the space-time continuum. I can't influence the final destination, so you could land practically in any kind of world, which means I can't know what you will find there. I'd advice to be cautious here, so you should curb that goddamned annoying 'happy-go-lucky' attitude of yours. Seriously, you can't go through life making friends with people who are trying to kill you, dumbass,**" he growled. "**Then again, knowing you, it's probably a hopeless request.**"

Naruto groaned. "Are we still on about this? I was able to get through you; I'd be able to get through anyone by now."

"**That's not the point and you know it, but whatever,**" Kurama retorted. "**Now, shut your mouth! I need to concentrate and I certainly can't do that if I hear you annoying voice.**"

"Well, then. You better hurry up, furball..." the blond muttered in a passive tone. It really didn't matter to him if Kurama's scheme failed or not. Boasting aside, he really didn't think Kurama could do that and besides, he could see his inner… soulscape -for a lack of a better term to define the dimension where Kurama resided-, begin to crumble into dust.

Just then, Naruto felt a weird pull in his chest and saw a point of light that appeared far way from where he was. It was rapidly getting brighter by the second though, as if approaching him. Then he felt Kyuubi talk to him with a serious, completely different tone from his usually slightly sadistic voice.

"**Naruto… you were kind to my brothers and sisters, liberating them from that accursed Madara. Even if we were in bad… well, the worst terms possible for most of your life, I… I... oh, fuck it, I'm shit at this. Look, I always thought you to be a fraud and an idiotic, inbreed little cum-stain, but in this war you showed me genuine kindness and friendship, which is more than I can say about your own sadistic mother. I still have the marks of those chains, you know… Still, the fact is that you cared… In your own twisted way to make your enemies your friends but cared, nonetheless. And for that, I'm grateful,**" he said in what might have been the only time in centuries he truly talked about what he genuinely felt and thought about someone else. Naruto's face was understandably torn between confusion and self-satisfaction.

"**There's also the fact that with me out of the picture, no one will be able to resurrect the J****û****bi again. They might attempt to, but they won't be able to succeed. My brothers and sisters will be safe from the likes of Madara and I'm sure they will be more careful from now on, so they won't be captured without good reason by the villages when they reform.**"

"Kurama … what the hell are you on about?" he warily asked. He almost sounded as if…

"**No time for that, brat. It's time for you to go, explore and discover the place where you're going. Make it your new home, find someone else to spend your life with and crush a few heads for me…**"

"WHAT? What is this bullshit, Kurama? You can't die! Were you lying to me, bastard?! I've lost most of my friends in this fucking war and you expect me to have a second chance when you're sacrificing yourself to give it to me?! How do you expect me to live with it?" Naruto yelled in shocked fury. "Everyone else is dead… Yugito is dead! What good is going to another world alone?! We've been trough hell together, you furball, you can't...! Damn it, Kurama, don't do this! I don't want to be alone… "

"**YOU MORONIC FOOL! Don't reject something that is willingly given! Listen to yourself, whining like a little child! Okay life's tough, so what? You can only suck it up and get on your feet again to prove you're not going to stay down!**" Kurama roared and Naruto fell silent as the soulscape disintegrated.** "Look… for what's worth, I regret the fact you lost everything before it could really start. Matatabi spoke fondly of your girl and from what I saw, she was perhaps the only one apart from Bee that could understand you to the fullest, after all the others like you were captured… but you need to pull your shit together, Naruto,**" Kyuubi ranted at him, trying to cheer him up as best as he could, which was admittedly not really good. He then sighed when Naruto failed to respond.

"**Just think on it… look, it's time,**" Kurama told him. The light shone even brighter and engulfed Naruto, who started screaming because it freaking _hurt_. It felt as if his entire body was picked apart bit by bit with the most destructive force that could be mustered. There were also the last parting words from Kurama before Naruto was knocked out.

"**Goodbye, Naruto. Should we see each other in hell, I'll kill you then,**" Kurama uttered. Then, the most powerful of the Bijû let out a dark chuckle, yet with a slight touch of warmth. **"Live well, brat. You deserve it."**

And finally, darkness claimed them.

**xxOOOxx**

A shaking sensation rocking his body was the first thing he registered, but to be honest, it quickly took second place to the pain that had set itself as the most important thing in his mind almost immediately. Every part of his body felt like it was breaking apart. That was informative, at the very least. Pain was real; pain meant he was still alive. Kurama had _actually_ pulled it off. He'd have said something, but the only thing that escaped his lips was a hoarse scream of pain. The mere memory of the transition from the Elemental Nations to wherever the hell he currently was felt real enough to burn all and every one of his pain receptors. The pounding of drums in his ears was strong, why was someone pounding the drums so hard? He couldn't hear a thing…

Even opening his eyes hurt, and it felt like a titanic effort just to keep them open. Not that really helped, since he was only able to keep them half-lidded. There was a shadow just above him, peering at him, but he couldn't see too well. His shinobi instincts kicked in and he raised his arm to crush the throat. It was not to be as his arm dropped a second after rising from the ground, letting him know just how much of a stupid thing trying that had been.

He could faintly discern something moving around the place where the mouth would have gone in a face. Was the shadow talking to him? Shadows didn't talk, obviously, and no sound came from it. Talking shadows only existed in fairy tales, in worlds with magic, after all. Kami, why wouldn't they stop the drums pounding? Whoever was fooling around with them was in for a world of pain after he got better.

The Shadow moved closer and this time he could discern for a moment he thought he'd seen a flash of brown in the face area. Did shadows have eyes too? It was dark and he couldn't see very well. Perhaps it was night? Swallowing heavily, he immediately recognized the taste of his own blood and as if struck by lightning, he suddenly realized that there were no drums near him.

They were only in his head.

Or rather, he connected the maddening pounding of the drums as that of the frantic beating of his heart. With a supreme effort, he raised himself just enough so he could take a look at himself. He was very dazed and the pounding grew even worse, eliciting a pained moan out of him but he'd been able to check his state.

He was covered in blood, from head to toes. What else had he expected?

A sharp stab of pain in his head dropped him again to the ground and the rhythmic pounding on his head grew even worse yet, if that was even possible. So, because of that, he did the only thing that he could do in his state.

He fell unconscious.

Story of his life, really.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> I'm planning to do the storyline of DA:O, but as this is a crossover, it will be (obviously) an AU. Don't worry, I have several ideas and I'd like to explore a bit the culture and history of Ferelden and Thedas. I want to add some things that I saw in the game and intrigued me, as well. Can't say much, though, so you'll have to find out.

BTW, Naruto will be in his early twenties. You'll understand the how soon enough, but it fitted much more in the fic and for what I have in mind.


	2. Awakening

Hey everybody, how's all going? Anyway, here's the second chapter of The Forgotten.

Sadly, I don't have much time to write so expect slow updates and with a month or even more between chapters. I don't have all the time I'd like to write but rest assured, I write all I can when I can. How I wish for holidays to arrive…

Also, I wish to thank you all for the favorite emails and story alerts. Hope you all like the second.

Again, if you see any grammatical mistakes, feel free to let me know and I'll fix it. I checked the chapter but I don't know if I missed some.

Disclaimer: Someday, the rights we'll be mine, someday… For now all I have to do is lie down and don't attract attention and- *THERE HE IS!* … Shit.

"Talking."

'_Thinking'_

"**Higher beings/demons talking**"

'_**Higher beings/demons thinking'**_

* * *

><p><strong>[2403/2013]: **Edited and revised. Changed minor details in descriptions and conversations.

**[24/01/14]: **As promised, a major editing of this chapter, close to a rewriting of several parts. Two whole new scenes added, along with new content here and there. **Warning****:** major swearing and sexual references in one scene. You have been warned.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**Awakening**

A shuddering breath was released from his mouth as the sound of rattling chains echoed around. How long had it been since the last time he'd managed to get a hold of his wavering consciousness? It came and went periodically but it slipped away from him almost every time he tried to grasp it. Keeping awake had gotten to the point of becoming a titanic task, one he wasn't sure he could try much longer.

At some points when he was awake, he couldn't keep the cynical tone out of the thought that his trademark luck had ran out long ago.

How long had it been since the first day in this hell in life, after all? The first day, the first hour, the first minute... How could he count them when time itself was meaningless in his prison? A prison without bars yet chained like a rabid dog.

He blinked, trying to focus his sight through the bleariness. He sighed when his bindings held strong as he tried to break them and he couldn't keep down a laugh tinted with desperation. They had held for centuries, why would they fail now? He idly wondered how many times he had tried already but soon realized it was a foolish question. There were too many to count.

However, unknown to him, not everyone in the Universe was unsympathetic to his plight. A sudden pulling sensation speared him. It felt as if hooks had taken a hold of his very essence and were trying to pull him towards… somewhere. The anomaly was violent in its actions, with clearly no finesse, but it was clearly accomplishing its objective.

Finding the pain too much to stay hold onto his already wavering consciousness, he soon blacked out.

xxOOOOxx

Neria Surana didn't know what to think when they spotted for the first time Ostagar, the fortress which signaled the border of ancient Tevinter Imperium into barbarian lands. Well, the Tower of Ishal, named after the great Archon who ordered its construction, was the only building in Ostagar that was still mostly intact… somewhat.

Truthfully, she was a little surprised. She knew buildings outside the Tower of Magi were big, but not _that_ big. Sure, the Tower was pretty big but nothing compared to the Tower of Ishal. It dwarfed her former home! Duncan chuckled when he saw her eyes go out from her sockets, totally astonished by the sight.

"I'll take you haven't seen many buildings, Neria. You shouldn't think too much of it, Archons were known for their egos." He said, clearly amused by her reaction. Her head snapped at him giving him sheepish smile but her face darkened almost instantly, remembering the Circle and all the recent bad memories from that place.

His eyes softened at seeing that look. He remembered himself looking much like her, with the same scared look, when Warden-Commander Genevieve saved him in Val Royeaux. He was just moments away from being executed for the murder of a Warden, who was…

Duncan ruthlessly crushed those thoughts. She had passed long ago. She was now with her loved one and it didn't matter anymore. He still felt guilt though, even after he and Commander Genevieve sorted things out.

"Neria… do you want to talk about it?" He offered gently. He knew it was not a good idea to bottle such things as they tended to eat you from inside. She gave him a surprised glance, clearly not used to the gentle treatment and hesitated.

"I… It's just… I hated the time I was in the Tower. The templars were watching us all the time with those stares, as if waiting for us to become abominations in any moment. It was a cage in all but name. A cage with golden bars sure, but a cage nonetheless. It… makes me shiver every time I think about it. It has been almost two weeks and I still have nightmares about them. You just can't understand it, Duncan, you are not a mage. That fear… the fear to have the templars watching you everywhere you go, in every moment, waiting for the simplest hint to pound in. It… puts you on edge." Neria let out a tired sigh.

"All of us mages are looked down or outright feared because of what we are and I hate it. Yes, it's true that some mages are power hungry, like some bloodmages. But we are not all like them! The concept behind the Circle is right, is the way it's applied what's wrong!" She argued heatedly. To Duncan, it was clearly a sour topic to her.

"I will not dare to make assumptions, as your knowledge about the Circle and its troubles surpass far beyond my own. But if I had say in it, I'd say the manners of the Chantry are indeed quite… harmful to others regarding some topics. But surely your fellow mages would help you. You know, helping others out and all that." He said, choosing very carefully his words.

Neria smirked bitterly, mildly amused. "Duncan, you could pass as a politician, with your way with words, you know," she commented. "Sadly, I'm an elf or, as they call me, a flat-ear." The hurt look in her sea-green eyes told him what she thought of that. Duncan sighed; he couldn't help but feel bad for the elves. They had lost almost everything from the time of Arlathan and even then, most Dalish elves treated harshly the city elves, looking down on them just because they had submitted to the shemlen, "quick children" as they derisively called humans. But he refocused on the conversation as Neria was still talking.

"-but even between fellow mages old habits die hard and some human mages weren't much kind with elves. Those thought themselves superior to the elven mages. Imagine the combination: an elf _and_ a mage. Great, isn't it? Being the two things at the same thing is the biggest curse in Thedas because of the humans' racism towards us… But I told myself long ago that I would not shrink and cover in fear. I'm proud of what I am. I will not give them the pleasure to make me submit." She stated, crossing her arms and with a fierce look in her eyes. "However, I won't deny that in the Tower there were people who respected me and thankfully, those who looked down on us for being elves were less than expected. So, even if they were harmful, it was not as bad as it sounds."

"Then, there were good things in the Circle, am I right?" He asked while smiling inwardly at her confidence. He had definitely done the right choice recruiting her. He was sure she would blossom greatly in the order. That's it, if she passed the Joining, but he had a hunch that she would and he couldn't wait to nurture her potential into something great. It was always a very rewarding experience teaching others your craft.

The moment he asked, Duncan knew it was the right question to make. Her eyes shone with happiness as she remembered good old times. "Yes… Yes, there were. I had my best three friends there. All of them were humans, which is surprising, as you might think. Their names were Anders, Cullen and Jowan… who you had the misfortune to meet." She faltered a bit when she mouthed the last name and Duncan supposed that Jowan would be most likely that bloodmage that caused that big mess in the Circle when he was there, which he had to drag Neria from. Quite forcefully, he might add.

"How were they like?" He asked, truly interested. They had time, anyway.

Neria laughed, very amused with her memories. "How were they like? Well… Anders had come to the Circle when he was twelve years old or so, from the Anderfels. He was already very old to the standards of the templars, as mages are usually brought to the Tower at the age of four or five. Because of this, he had a clear image of his family, clear memories of them and he hated the templars with passion since the moment they took him from them. And his hate and distaste for templars only grew as time passed. He would always confront the templars and he tried several times to leave the Circle. Just a couple of days before your arrival, he'd fled again. He never tried to take me with him though. He knew a live on the run was not for me, especially for an elf. More even so, for a _female_ elf." She remarked the 'female' part and Duncan nodded comprehensively. Feeling caged had to be a terrible thing and he knew as well what she was referring to with the last part. A shameful act to do for any man.

"And well, he was a bit of the flirting type too, but it was always good-naturedly. It was amusing, to say the truth and I never could get mad at him, no matter how much he did it. Of them, he was the one I was most fond of. I can't remember a time when he hadn't a joke ready.

"Then we have Cullen. He was a templar... Hey, don't give me that look! I know it's a contradiction, but he was… different from them. He was nice… and kind… a bit of stuttering, though it was worth it if that was the price for his kindness. He was totally different from others templars. They simply felt like…unfeeling cold machines, zealots to the cause. Cullen felt like a normal person… Mmm, now that I think about it, he always stuttered when I was near… I wonder why…" Duncan just hid a smirk from her at that. It seemed that Neria was a little clueless about love matters.

"And finally, we have Jowan… he was the first to be my friend, actually. Before meeting Anders a few months later, we could always be seen together. He was a good friend to be with, albeit a bit clumsy at magic. I know he has potential but magic was hard for him to learn." She mused out loud. Her face became more distant, lost in her memories. "But it doesn't matter anymore, so no point in thinking about it…" She muttered regretfully.

Duncan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you feel guilty for betraying him by telling Irving about his plan. But he didn't tell you he was a bloodmage, so you two are more or less on equal terms… Who knows, perhaps your paths will cross again at some point."

Hearing those words, Neria actually smiled. "Thanks Duncan, you're really a good man." She praised with a slight nod of acknowledgment. Said man chuckled and nodded at her in return.

"And well, what else… As much as it pains me to admit it, a few months ago we had already started growing apart because I progressed in my magic while he was stuck, left behind. Maybe that was when he started meddling with bloodmagic…" Neria trailed off.

They stayed in a comfortable silence until Duncan broke it, looking at her.

"So, tell me, what do you think of Ferelden so far?" He asked with genuine curiosity, making her head tilt, deep in thought.

"Well, it's… nice, I guess. The wilderness is enjoyable, a most welcome change after the cold stones of the Tower. And the rain! I had never seen rain before… Feeling it on my skin makes me feel truly alive." She said with a broad smile, letting out a carefree smile. "I had seen maps of Ferelden before, but they don't make the country justice. So many places to see… Ferelden it's quite big, but I suppose that without horses it has to be. A pity I will not be able to explore Ferelden more though. I'm sure there are so many things to know and discover…" She spaced out, dreamily but furrowed her nose. "It smells of wet dog, though."

Duncan chuckled softly. He was sure that was the effect of reading so many books in the Circle. The marvelous things that magic could do fueled the desire to see more wonderful things, ancient secrets. It was a saddening sight to see mages so unappreciated. _'They fear the unknown, the uncertainty of it…Instead of helping them through their burdens, they deny and spit on them.'_ Duncan thought with a small sigh. _'If only, people didn't fear them, they'd be able to see a tool that could make their lives a bit easier.'_

"Do not worry, child. I'm sure you will travel to many places being Grey Warden. You'll just have to wait to pass your Joining." He assured and Neria nodded at him.

They traveled in silence until Duncan spoke again. "Well child, I think it'll be better if we hurry our pace. Come, it's time we got to Ostagar."

xxOOOOxx

One hour later, they finally reached the gates where Neria noticed something shining brightly close to them. Trying to catch a better look; she realized it was a man in armor, which was the shining thing that attracted her attention .

"Ho, Duncan!" He welcomed the older man with a friendly wave while Neria scrutinized him. He had blond hair and a faint childish look on his face. It wasn't as if he looked as a child physically. It was more the… twinkle in his eyes when he smiled, like a child when he received a gift from his parents. He wore a complete golden armor and Neria wondered if the blacksmith that made the armor wanted the wielder to stand out. Maker's breath, she was sure his breastplate could light the other part of Ferelden!

Neria mentally chuckled at the admittedly stupid joke but refocused on the conversation. It wouldn't be polite to stare at the space if someone talked to her.

"… a royal welcome?" The man, now known as the king, chuckled. He had a carefree laugh, she absently noticed. "Don't worry, we have time and I wanted to get out of Loghain's tent before he kills me with strategies." He joked, smiling. "I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun."

"Not if I could help it, your Majesty." Duncan smiled back at him. It was obvious they were pretty good friends.

"Then, I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in the battle, after all. Glorious!" He beamed with shining eyes and turned to him. "The others Wardens told me you'd found a promising recruit. I take it this is she?" He asked, looking curiously at Neria.

Duncan nodded. "Allow me to introduce you, your Majesty."

"No need for formalities, Duncan. We'll be shedding blood together after all. Ho there, friend. May I know your name?" The king asked.

Neria blinked. The king wanted to know her name. She was no friend of him, of course. But it would be highly disrespectful of her not to answer him. Even if he was human and she, elf, she couldn't disrespect the man who could easily order to behead her. And that would be _definitely_ not nice…

"I am Neria, your Majesty."

"Oh, come on, no need to be so formal, as I've told Duncan right now!" He laughed. "Anyway, allow me, to be the first to welcome you to Ostagar, Warden. I'm sure you'll love to be part of such prestigious order! I sure wish I could join! Well, it'll be better if we get back soon to the camp. We've won three battles against them and today should be no different."

Neria arched a thin eyebrow. "You sound very confident of that."

"Overconfident some would say, right Duncan?" He replied with a chuckle at Duncan, who chose his words carefully to reply him.

"Your Majesty, I'm not certain the Blight can be ended as quite… quickly as you might want."

Cailan turned his back to them to stare at the camp, which was buzzing with activity. "I'm not even sure if this is a true Blight, anyway! There's plenty of darkspawn on the battlefield, but alas, we've seen no sign of an archdemon." The king silently huffed with slight annoyance but Duncan noticed it.

"Disappointed, your Majesty?" Duncan asked with a soft voice.

"I'd hoped for a war like in the tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god! To banish it to its horrendous lair and then kill it! To be laid down in History books for all to remember!" He had a slight frown on his face and then he sighed. "But I suppose this will have to do... Now, I must go before Loghain sends out search parties… Farewell, Duncan, Neria. I hope we can talk later." He turned back and went back to the camp with his two guards. Duncan and Neria watched as he entered in it and then the older man turned to her.

"So, what's your first impression about King Cailan?" Duncan asked her. Neria didn't look too eager to respond. After all, what you said about the King or the Teyrnirs or… well, about every important people, could cause you… unhealthy problems, if someone overhead you. She bit her bottom lip.

"Well, he seems… nice… Is he always so…?" She trailed off, without knowing what word pick.

"Happy and confident?" Duncan helped.

"Mm… yes, that." Neria nodded. _'Though I'd have said reckless and overconfident…'_

Duncan chuckled but quickly adopted a worried demeanor. "Indeed, I have to agree with you. Cailan's a good man, a friend and one of the few Grey Wardens' allies in these dark times, but I fear he's greatly underestimating the darkspawn threat. Yes, we've defeated them in a few battles, but the horde grows larger with each passing day. By now, they look to outnumber us."

"It sounds bad, then." Neria answered with a small frown.

"Hopefully, the archdemon won't be here… yet. But enough of worries, you have to pass your Joining without more delay. There's another Grey Warden near here, in this part of the camp. A junior, his name's Alistair. When you're ready, seek him out. Then, come to the stake near the King's tent. All the others Wardens are already down in the battlefield but I'll be over there."

"Alright, Duncan."

"Good. Talk with the others, Neria. Learn as much as you can when you're here. You should check out the tranquil in the camp as well. Perhaps there is something from the mages that you can borrow. If you have money, don't forget to visit the armory. You never know what you can find." He advised her.

Frowning, Neria huffed, annoyed. "You know, I can take care of myself, Duncan. I may be small, compared to you humans, but I'm not a child." She answered crossing her arms but the only answer she got from Duncan was an amused laugh.

"But a child you are, dear." He chuckled again. "Anyway, go and socialize." He finished the conversation, walking calmly by the bridge. Neria stayed a few seconds looking at his back till she began to walk as well to the camp.

xxOOOOxx

They came out form the Korcari Wilds bruised and covered in blood, but otherwise unharmed. Neria turned to thank Morrigan, the strange young woman they'd encountered earlier in the wilderness, for her help but she had already vanished. The elven mage shrugged and entered into the camp with Alistair and the other two Grey Wardens recruits, Daveth and Ser Jory.

Daveth seemed fine if a bit of a flirt but she was okay with that, as long as it stayed in just that, flirting. His flirting made her a little uncomfortable, since there wasn't an ounce of friendship in it, like Anders' teasing and flirting had been.

But Ser Jory was a whole story by himself. She almost growled. Ser? Ser, her ass! He whined and complained every moment for whatever reason he had. Darkspwan, wild witches, chasind… The others were on their nerves as well and they wondered if they could kill him and leave him in the wilds. Sadly, they came to the conclusion that Duncan would notice it, so they had to suffer through it.

Neria had gotten around examining the tranquil site, after all. She had asked the tranquil if there was something for her –or the others mages- in the mage's chest. Without blinking and with a droning voice, he had handed her a staff made of iron. It wasn't obviously the best staff in the world, but it was still a staff. She had taken a few lyrium potions as well, just in case. Then, curious about his plight, she had talked to the kennel's caretaker.

Neria smiled. It was a stroke of luck they had found the plant he had asked her for him to be able to cure that poisoned mabari. She turned to look at the men that were following her.

"Hey guys, I'll split off a moment to deliver the plant. Go ahead to meet Duncan, I'll go in a moment." They nodded and Neria jogged to the kennels, where the caretaker was watching worriedly over the mabari. She tapped his shoulder to catch his attention.

"Mm, yeah? What can I do for…? Oh, it's you! Tell me, did you found the plant?" He asked with hope in his voice.

Neria smiled and nodded, handing him the plant. "Yes, I did. Here, take it."

The kennel's caretaker smiled thankfully. "Great! Now I can make a remedy for him! I don't know if it'll be one hundred per cent effective, but now he'll have a big chance to make it. Thanks! You might come after the battle. Perhaps he may want to go with you as his new master. These mabaris sure are intelligent fellows; I wouldn't be surprised if he recognized you as the one who helped him out."

Neria turned to look at the mabari, who now was resting more comfortably on the straw and watching her with an inquisitive look. Perhaps it would be a good idea… After all, mabari were well known as war hounds and their higher than normal intelligence, so why not? She could always use him as a way to drive Alistair nuts, anyway. Neria chuckled at that thought.

"Sure, I'll drop by after the battle. Anyway, I have to go. Duncan must be waiting for me. See you!" Neria parted away after saying her goodbyes, moving towards the stake Duncan had mentioned. She saw them talking and saw Alistar giving Duncan the three vials of darkspawn blood needed for the Joining along with the treaties. She then arrived and positioned herself next to Alistair.

"Hello, Neria. What delayed you?"

"Well, the kennel's caretaker told me about a plant essential to cure the mabaris from the darkspawns' taint. We found one in the Korcari Wilds, so I went to deliver it to him."

Duncan nodded gravely. "The taint from the darkspawn is truly a dangerous thing. We have to manipulate it carefully, as we can't allow it to corrupt us. In any case, I will start the required preparations for the ritual. We need to set the preparation for the Joining. And Alistair, don't worry so much. I know it's most likely that Morrigan and her mother, this… Flemeth, are apostates. But we can't assume they're bloodmages without proof. Besides, it is not our duty to hunt them down. We are not templars. Ours is a grimmer and long-lasting duty and they certainly wouldn't be refused, should they be considered potential recruits. "

Duncan didn't stay much longer and left after saying that he had to set up the ritual for the Joining. He also told them to come to the abandoned tower when they were ready. Afterwards, they parted ways and Neria went to meet the merchant as she had to sell some things they had found in the wilds. She sold all the weapons and other stuff they looted from the darkspawn. The mage elf thought it was a disgusting thing, but she knew it was a necessary if she ever wanted to gain a considerable amount of coin.

However, she gained enough money from the sales to buy a small bag to carry more objects.

She soon walked away from his stand and pondered what to do. Soon, night would fall but there still was some time left before complete nightfall. Therefore, Neria decided to wander a bit, with no real purpose. However, that soon would prove to be a mistake.

Wandering into a more secluded spot, she stumbled into a group of men making a light warm up before the battle began. Neria really didn't have a reason to talk to them so she quickly turned on her heels to leave when a shout from one of the man stopped them.

"You, elf! Bring us some water instead of strolling around like some useless wench!" The man had a cocky, disgusting voice and Neria whirled to give him a piece of mind, masking as best as she could the fear she felt.

"Call me that again and I'll show you just how dangerous a mage can be." She threatened but her threat fell on deaf ears as the man narrowed his eyes with h contempt.

"You fucking knife-ear bitch! Mage or not, I'll show your place, you fucking slut!" He hissed as he made his way over to her.

Striding back, Neria's hand flew to her staff; ready to show the sorry excuse of a man in front of her just why you just don't piss off a mage. However, her efforts were cut short when a pair of strong arms snaked under her armpits and grabbed her in a lock from behind, effectively nullifying her arms and making her unable to reach her staff.

"Ah, ah, ah," the man… no, the beast, mocked. "No magic weapons allowed. That wouldn't be fair, don'tcha think?"

She was trapped.

The man finally stopped in front of her with a sinister grin, giving Neria a show of his crooked teeth with the way he grinned. She had to consciously suppress the shiver they gave her. His grin did not bode anything good.

"What you say guys? Ready to show this bitch her place?"

"Hell yeah, Martin! I can't wait to see if she can ride a cock as good as she's at dishing out threats!" One of the men laughed perversely and Neria froze in shock.

Were they going to rape her? This couldn't be happening to her…

But despite the cold fear of being raped every woman had in her, she wasn't Irving's apprentice just for her good looks.

She was trapped.

Yet powerless, she was not. Fear did not _have _hold over her.

With a snarl, she kicked the man with crooked teeth in the balls. _Hard. _Not expecting any kind of retaliation from what he saw as scum, he went down howling in agony, as he wasn't wearing his armor. Anders had taught her the best way to take advantage from a man's weakness and she applied his lesson as best as she could.

'_If a guy tries to do… well, that, and you don't have your staff with you to shove a lightning bolt up their asses, do this. Trust me, you won't regret it'_

Quick as lightning she smashed her head as hard as she could against the face of the man holding her arms. Crying out in pain, he lost his hold on her, allowing Neria to slip away from him.

However, now there were three pissed off soldiers against her, though the other one was too busy nursing his jewels, moaning in pain, to be any kind of a threat. It still didn't help her current situation.

"You bitch, I'm gonna make you pay for this, you piece of shit!" raged the one who'd been holding her, one hand trying to stop the flow of blood from his nose.

Before Neria could say something though, another presence made itself known. "I sincerely doubt that, though you are welcome to try, of course."

As expected, Neria and the others looked to the side, their attention caught by the voice.

There were two of them, several years older than her by the looks of it. They both had black hair and were fairly tall, taller than an average human, though not by a wide margin, either. Their expressions were as different as day and night were from each other. One of them, the taller one, had a scowl on his face, looking at the other one with annoyance. He carried a black great sword strapped to his back.

The other had a smirk on his face, walking towards the group with a confident stride. He moved swiftly and Neria could see for a moment the pommels of four daggers, two strapped to his back and two near his tailbone zone. Contrary to his companion, he sported a full beard, making him look older than he really was..

"Who are you, brat? Get out of here less I pummel you to the ground." A scarred man threatened.

"Tsk, tsk, didn't your mother teach you manners? That's no way to treat a lady, you know." The man chided him with a mocking smile, wiggling a finger at the scarred man.

"Why you….!" The soldier went to grab his sword but one of his companions stopped him before he could do anything.

"We have no quarrel with you two. Leave now, we have something to discuss with this knif… I mean, this elf here."

"Oh, do you now? Funny, I could've sworn you were going to… ah, how did your buddy put it, ah yes, make her pay." He mused sardonically.

"And why would you care, pretty boy? She's just a worthless elf." The third soldier grumbled, spitting on the ground but the dagger-user just laughed truly amused.

"Really now, you don't know who she is? She's Duncan's newest recruit, so it's pretty likely she'll become a Grey Warden. The King won't be happy that some men from camp tried to get their way with her. It makes one wonder if their stupidity is learnt or passed from father to son, doesn't it, brother?" He rhetorically asked to the taller man, who merely muttered something about leaving him out of his messes.

The three soldiers paled considerably when they heard about Neria's status. Cailan's fondness for epic tales and glory –and thus, Grey Wardens- was well known throughout Ferelden and his ire would be much severe if he learnt of the incident. Neria for her part was amazed that their arrogant, cocky looks were replaced by ones of utter fear. It was a complete change of behavior and it totally blew her mind. Surely Cailan's obsession with the Grey Wardens wasn't _that_ big, right?

However, her musings were cut short when the soldiers grabbed the still moaning soldier from the floor, gave her hasty apologies and ran the hell out of the clear, not even bothering to maintain a modicum of composure.

"Wow, chickens the lot of them. Things like these make me lose faith in mankind… Then again, it comes back with a good tankard of ale." The dagger-used muttered to himself, not even reacting to his brother's annoyed sigh.

"Seriously, do we have to get into all kinds of trouble just because you want to 'explore the zone'?"

"Ah, but brother, exploring is just half the fun. Don't tell me you don't love the thrill of an adventure?" Said man just snorted, half annoyed and half amused at his words. "Besides, the good guys always came at the last moment to save the day! It makes it all just more epic."

"That's just because no one has heard you snore. That is, except me." His older brother remarked dryly. "After that, no one can look at you and think of you as epic."

"Such hurtful words, Carver! If I didn't know you better, I'd say you… shit, I forgot what I was going to say."

"Clearly."

"… Moving on…" Carver's brother moved his gaze to her and gave her an easy grin. "Hey there, quite the pinch you were in, huh?"

"… I guess so. Thanks for the help."

"No need, my dear friend. That's what the good guy does, after all!" He excitedly said as he expertly started twirling one of his daggers. Neria didn't miss the fact he never dropped it, not even once. "I'm Hawke. Connor Hawke. This is my little brother. He's more like my sidekick really, but he wouldn't shut up to let him come."

"Hey!"

"What, it's true!"

"You're weird." Neria stated rather bluntly and Carver laughed at his brother as he visibly sagged.

"Bah, this world just isn't ready to stand my sheer level of badassery."

Neria couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. Connor's antics, even if slightly childish, all but made her forget about the reason for them meeting. However, she was still supposed to meet with the others in little time.

"Well, I have to meet with my fellow Warden recruits. Thanks again for helping me out." Neria said with a smile.

Connor gave her a roguish smirk as he waved at the mage. "Sure, sure. See ya later, oh great Warden!"

As soon as Neria was out of sight, Carver sent a meaningful stare at his older brother, who merely crossed his arms. "What?"

"You were flirting with her."

"Really? Wow, our parents should've named you Captain Obvious instead of Carver!"

"Don't mock me, dammit! I'm not a child you can pick on anymore. Do you have to flirt with every chick that catches your eye?"

Connor simply shrugged it off. "Well, what you want me to say? She's pretty good looking and I reckon she'd get more brownie points if she got rid of that ponytail."

"Ugh, keep your wet dreams to yourself! I just wish you'd stop poking your noses in other people's business. We always end in fights because of you."

"You're telling you'd have let that poor girl to her assaulters? For shame, Carver, I can barely look at you in the eyes. I can't find my little brother in you!"

"W-what?! Of course I wouldn't have! It's just… uh…" Carver then narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "You're downright infuriating, you know? You're doing this on purpose."

"Hell yeah."

"I… you… ugh!"

xxOOOOxx

Walking into the camp again, Neria smiled as she thought about Connor and Carver. They seemed alright but Connor was a little weird when he got all dramatic. Weird, but still alright. Thinking no more of it, she went to the place where Duncan told them to meet and saw that the others were already there. Ser Jory was pacing nervously, and Neria saw him say something. '_Surely, more whining_' she thought with a bit of devilish malice. She chuckled inwardly and greeted the others when she arrived.

"Why all these damned tests? Have I not earned my place?"

"Maybe it's tradition. Maybe they're just trying to annoy you. If they are Grey Wardens, their secrets must be valuable enough not to let them be taken by undesirable individuals. And really, seeing you whine on and on makes me wonder what they saw in you."

"It's just that I'm nervous, that's all." Ser Jory replied with a glare at Daveth.

"Would you have come if they'd warned you? The Wardens do what they must, right? Whatever the cost." The rogue shrugged.

"Including sacrificing us? That's not what I expected." Ser Jory fired back with a raised eyebrow.

"I'd sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight." Daveth replied with a serious expression. Neria, who heard it, felt her respect for the flirt rogue rise. "Maybe you'll die. Maybe we'll all die. But if nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll all die for sure. I'd rather die knowing that I had saved Ferelden than living a pathetic live on the run."

"I… I just never faced a foe I couldn't engage with my blade." The knight tried to defend himself.

"Then, perhaps you should go with the mabari. I'm sure you could have interesting conversations with them. You know what they say: birds of a feather flock together." Daveth mocked him with a grin

Alistair muttered a low, "Poor dogs, they won't know what hit them…" under his breath but Neria heard it and couldn't contain her laughter but tried not to laugh too loudly. Only Alistair saw it while Ser Jory and Daveth kept on bickering. Well, more like Ser Jory whining on and on and Daveth making fun of him for it. The junior Grey Warden flashed a smile at her as they watched from the sidelines how the others two fought, if that could be the word.

"Ah, they sure are lively. Shouldn't we stop them, though?" Alistair whispered to Neria but he looked at her seriously before letting out an amused, "Nah!", laughing with Neria at their bickering companions. After several minutes, they quieted and Alistair spoke again.

"I don't think we introduced to each other properly before. You know, what with that mage with a stick up his ass. Not that I think you're like him, of course!" He added quickly and Neria chuckled good naturedly at his embarrassment as Alistair smiled goofily. "I suppose Duncan already told you I'm just a junior Grey Warden. Just six months in the 'kill all darkspawn in sight' business but I'm getting there. Duncan recruited me in Redcliffe. He showed up in a good time, actually. I-" Alistair was suddenly stopped when Duncan appeared in sight walking towards them. Daveth and Jory saw him too and the two stopped their bickering immediately.

"It's time. At last, we come to the Joining." He went directly to a long stone table with a silver chalice on it. "The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood at the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank the darksapwn blood and mastered their taint." Duncan revealed with a soft voice.

Neria felt a chill ran down her spine. So that was the secret behind the Joining? Now the hints Duncan gave them made terrible sense. Neria realized that all the time Duncan spoke of the Joining's perils, he was saying that many hadn't survived… And with a shock, she understood that she really could die tonight, too. The realization of this almost paralyzed her with fear.

"We're… going the drink the blood of those… creatures?" Jory spoke, utterly terrified of the idea. Duncan nodded grimly.

"Indeed, just as the first Grey Wardens did before us. As we did before you. _This _is the source of our power and our victory." Duncan sighed, knowing what was lying ahead, but he pressed on. It was his duty, not only to Ferelden, but to Thedas as a whole.

Then Alistair spoke up. "Those who survive the Joining become inmune to the taint. We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon."

Duncan nodded to Alistair. "We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but they have been said since the First Blight. Alistair, if you would?"

Said man nodded and bowing his head, spoke a grave and solemn speech. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day, we shall join you."

"Let the Joining begin." Duncan spoke as he took the chalice of blood.

xxxOOOOxxx

Neria and Alistair joined Duncan near the stake, after meeting with King Cailan, his strategist advisor, Loghain, the reverend Mother and the head of mages. Suffice to say, it had been a _long_ meeting. There had been an awful amount of shouts.

"In this battle, we put all our stakes. This is the battle where we'll decide the fate of Ferelden. Loghain will remain hidden with his men, waiting for the signal. We need the torch to be lit. You two will be the ones to do it. Cailan has asked specifically for you two to perform the task at hand." The Warden-Commander of Ferelden informed.

"What! I won't be at the main front?!" Alistair shouted. Duncan gave him a stern look.

"We need someone to do it, Alistair. I know you don't like it and frankly, neither do I. But it's a request from the King, you simply can't refuse."

"Grr. Fine, I get it. Just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or not." Alistair warned with a straight face and Neria laughed at his remark.

"Now, that would something to see. A great distraction, I'm sure. I second the idea." She nodded with an amused idea grin.

"It'd have to be a pretty dress, though. Can't have me dancing classless." Alistair joked back.

Duncan couldn't help but sigh, a little annoyance slipping into his voice as he tiredly rubbed his forehead.

Seeing the gesture, Neria knew the time for jokes was over and decided to voice a little idea she had been pondering. "Duncan, we don't need to be specifically there. I could even light the torch with a fireball from the battlefield with ease. I just need to know where to fire at. Although I'm no master by any means, I know some healing spells and I'm sure we don't have mages to spare on the battlefield."

Unfortunately, Duncan didn't seem very pleased with her idea. "Neria,-" He began with a very big amount of patience in his voice, but Neria cut him off.

"Wait, Duncan. I know what you're going to say but I'm well aware of my abilities. I was Irving's golden student, remember?" She chuckled nervously. "Come on, Duncan. You know it's pointless to send a Grey Warden, not to say two, to light up a fire, we're kind of a big deal, aren't we?. Yes, it's a task of vital importance, but it seems disproportioned to me. Just send a squad of four men and it should be fine. I dunno, a warrior, an archer and a mage should do it just fine, no? I can still light the fire if they can't manage that." Neria smirked. Duncan sighed in defeat and she beamed internally.

"… Very well, we don't have time to argue about something like this. You both will fight in the battlefield. Stick close and keep an eye on each other. Neria, don't run out of magic too soon and administer your lyrium potions carefully. Alistair, look after her. Go to the east flank."

"Yes, Duncan!" Alistair and Neria exclaimed and they turned backs to leave but then Duncan's voice stopped them. "And Neria…?"

"Yes?"

Duncan's eyes were hard and then he spoke with a firm tone. Thankfully, he didn't seem overly angry, just annoyed. "We will talk about this after the battle. You must understand that, sometimes, the chain of command is something to be followed. No one can dismiss a King's orders like that." The mage gulped and nodded and hurried her pace to the battlefield, with the blond Warden walking behind her.

xxxOOOOxxx

"Wow, I can't believe it! You know he's going to get at you for this, right?" Alistair chuckled. "I wonder what the future generations of Grey Wardens will say about you… Perhaps something like 'Oh yes, Neria Surana, she was permanently placed as an errand boy because she mouthed off her superior on her first day being a Warden. Pity'". Alistair laughed.

"Oh alright, laugh at the rookie, will you?" Neria hissed sarcastically with a rising blush. What on hell had gotten into her when she had made that idea? Back then, it had seemed a fine option; now, not so much.

Alistair laughed amused at her embarrassment. "Oh, c'mon, I'm not gonna bite off your head. The darkspawn might, though, so keep it away from their jaws." Neria's face adopted an unhealthy shade of green, sickened by the thought. Alistair just chuckled at her. "At ease, soldier. We're between friends, aren't we?

"Hum, let me think… no?" Neria smirked when she saw Alistair pout.

"Ouch, now that hurt. You're so mean. I'm not that bad! Am I?" He complained and Neria chuckled.

"Perhaps…" Alistair cheered, "…or perhaps not." His shoulders slumped and she laughed heartily, clearly amused by his childish antics.

"I was wondering one thing, though." Alistair suddenly said as he adopted a thoughtful expression.

Neria smirked at him. "Just one?" She asked with awe slipping in her voice and Alistair narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Ha ha, Neria. Very funny, really." He mock glared at her.

"Of course it is. Anyway, what was crossing your amazing mind?" She asked with a snicker , which caused Alistair to snort but answered her nonetheless.

"Well, I was just wondering how you could come with such good balanced group between skills and weapons. I mean, not to offense but you're a mage, it's not like you've had training with weapons or strategies." He commented with fake nonchalance, trying to get under her skin but she dismissed it quickly.

"Oh, it was nothing, really. Back in the Tower I had an acquaintance who liked to read reports of ancient wars and he always liked to study the strategies and all that stuff. Don't know why, honestly. As you said, it's not like he would need it in his life." She shrugged. "However, it's not that difficult to figure it out, right? A warrior to attract the attention and hit hard, an archer for long range attacks and the mage as a support, while the rogue attacks them from behind. It's not _that _difficult, isn't it, Alistair?" Neria smirked and her tone had a slight mockery in it.

Alistair's face flushed with embarrassment, though he didn't exactly know why. "R-right, of course!"

"C'mon, we're wasting time here." Neria said as she idly twirled her wooden staff.

xxxOOOOxxx

The rain fell heavily on the ground, a storm having begun just minutes ago. Neria watched with barely hidden nervousness as the men in the front line prepared themselves, with Duncan and Cailan in sight. Well, you couldn't miss Cailan's armor after all, even if you wanted.

The army was set in a U shaped formation. Loghain's men were hiding in a small part of the western flank of the army. Nobody knew exactly where, though. They would expect the signal to launch an attack that, hopefully, would exterminate the darkspawn army, taking the advantage of surprise. The main force was in the northern flank, which would face directly the horde of darkspawn. The northern front was more backward than the others flanks so that when the darkspawn attacked, east and west flanks could surround them, trapping the beasts inside. Even so, the two sides had few men, as they had to remain hidden until the right time and even then, Loghain was the main reinforcement, with his veteran soldiers, many of which had fought during the rebellion to repel the Orlesian ocupation.

Neria had never participated in a war or in an ambush, not to say she hadn't even participated in a fight for that matter, but now she could feel clearly the nervousness and the anxiety of the waiting. And she could see the men's. She had grabbed her staff and begun to play with it nervously when Alistair put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to look at him.

"We'll be fine, Neria. Trust me, I may be a junior Grey Warden, but I'm not a newbie when it comes to use the sword. I'll watch your back." The young blond man reassured her and she acknowledged his intention with a weak smile.

"It's not that I'm scared –well, that too-, but I hate this waiting. It's getting on my nerves. But thank you, Alistair."

He nodded. "Anytime, Neria." He missed the few words she muttered under her breath, something in the lines of being her first time being in a fight, not to mention it was a war…

Suddenly, the battlefield went silent and Neria could somwhow _feel_ it. It was a prickling sensation as if she was at the point of feeling nausea but not completely… They were near. She glanced at Alistair who, noticing her gaze, nodded gravely. She grabbed forcibly the staff and surveyed the field. It was then when she saw them.

She had seen them before, of course, in the Korcari Wilds, but the sight of them reminded her of how ugly and twisted they were. Of course, she knew the history of the first darkspawn, well, at least, the Chantry's version, and even if she didn't buy it, she couldn't suppress a shiver of fear at the mere thought of being twisted to such lengths like them.

However, the tiny blond mage gasped as she started counting. There were so many of them! Thousands, perhaps even dozens of thousands! And they had to fight with that large army of corrupted beings? The whole idea seemed now ridiculous. She gulped. She had thought that leaving the Circle was the best course of action. Now… now she wasn't so sure about that.

The army of darkspawn was like a roaring mass of monsters that had a clear purpose. Ravage everything on its path. But a byproduct of their viciousness was the terryfinf feeling they brought with them. And they were having a damn good success at it. Some men were clearly frightened by them but the presence of Cailan shouting some encouraging words calmed them down. Not long after that, the darkspawn started to march towards them again.

Neria saw how one of the men step forward and raise an arm. He was the one to give the signal to the archers to open fire. He waited a few seconds and when he seemed to about to give the signal, Neria gasped as did the human army.

A spirit had appeared near Cailan in a flash of white.

xxxOOOOxxx

The first time I opened my eyes after the anomaly had finished its work, I wondered how I could have possibly left my prison. I was certainly in the real world again and for me to come back was something nigh impossible, after all. _In theory_, anyway. But maybe I had been mistaken. As mistaken as _she _had been, in any case. So, she was not as infallible as she liked to believe. Well, good to know anyway but the thought was useless in my situation. A small pulse of white energy made me look at me hands. They were white and transparent.

Ah, there was the catch. I couldn't be released physically, that much was certain, unless someone bothered to free me from the inside of my prison. However, whoever had gotten my spirit out of the Fade was certainly powerful, powerful enough to overcome the different barriers that would prevent something like this happening.

But then, who was the one responsible for my partial freedom? And better yet, why had they done it? What for? I couldn't help but have a bad feeling about it. However, my current surroundings caught my attention. Merely, the stench of blood.

I looked at the field and sniffed tentatively. The battlefield, for that was the place I was in, reeked of blood and it had been shed in large proportions. Perhaps that was the cause I was here. When some event was horrible, like a huge slaughter or a sorrow shared by an entire species, the Veil, that which separated the normal world from the Fade, would be torn apart. Those situations reverberated in the fabric of existence, like ripples formed by a rock dropped into the water. Eventually, those ripples reached the Fade. I guessed that was the reason I'm actually in the battlefield and not in my personal cage. In any case, a slaughter would be an adequate condition for the Veil to be torn apart.

Could it be that the prison had been weakening over time? No, no it couldn't be. It had held strong for such a_ long_ time… No matter how much the Veil was torn, I shouldn't have been able to leave the Fade otherwise. But perhaps the tearing of the Veil and the anomaly together…

However, that raised the question why I was the only spirit around. If the Veil was torn, there should be many more spirits mingling amongst the living, caught in whatever they saw.

Yet another mystery to add to the pile.

Something at my left caught my attention and I glanced at the man who was standing there. He was a tall, blond man. He was wearing a golden suit of armor and I blinked at the hideous choice of color. It was the least inconspicuous thing I had ever seen, like if he was screaming, _'Over here! I'm here! KILL ME!' _The thought made me smile, although it was a little strained. It sure brought memories back… I resisted the urge to scoff at my own thoughts. Nonetheless, he would surely be someone important.

His eyes were swollen like a fish out of water but I detected a twinkle in them when he stared at me. I had seen that look many times. _'Another idealist full of dreams of greatness, it seems.'_ I chose to ignore the fact that once _I_ had been like him, proclaiming I'd be the best shinobi of all.

I turned to face him and he managed to regain his composure, if only barely. "A-are you a spirit from the Fade?" He asked. I noticed how eager he was to know about this… situation we were in, even if his voice wavered a little. I wondered what I should say. The easy answer would have to suffix because we had a darkspawn army to slay. Oh, yes, I had noticed them. No time for niceties when duty calls, I'm afraid, I doubted they'd remain out of business for too much longer.

"Yes, I suppose we could say that. You're the general of these armies, right? Good, we don't have time, so I'll shorten the pleasantries. The Veil has been torn here and I was pulled her here for reasons I don't understand. However, there's no time for it. Since I'm already here, I will help you out with the darkspawn, but I don't know just how long I'll be able to stay. Let me strike first, but a word of advice: you and your men should retreat some meters away. My attacks tend to blow things up in the air." I explained and left without more comments.

I walked with a confident stride in my steps, all the men watching me in astounded silence. I assumed most of them hadn't seen a spirit before. It was lucky I had appeared with my old black hooded cloak. What can I say; I've always had a flare for dramatic entrances. Oh wait, I just remembered I don't have colors as a spirit, just that shitty spectral white that sends chills down the spine. Oh well, that would have to do.

The battlefield was silent as I approached the darkspawn army. I'm sure if any important painter saw this, the painting would be bloody epic. A single mysterious spirit against all the might of the darkspawn horde. Now, that's something.

I stood between the two armies and stared down at the soulless eyes of the darkspawn leader without blinking. After what seemed an eternity, he made a gurgling scream -or was it a laugh?- and they all rushed at me. I held my ground, opening my legs a bit wider to gain more stability.

The only good thing that came from my current situation was the fact that I didn't need handsigns to create my techniques. A body acted like a vessel for power but it needed a way to unleash it. Why have something like that when you were power itself, though? However, the fact that I was a bodiless apparition left me with less energy than what I was comfortable with. It would be a tricky thing but at least I'd be able to put a dent on their numbers.

I stood calmly as the vicious beasts ran at me. They were in for quite the surprise. Suddenly, a wild-looking dragon made entirely out of flames appeared between our positions and started wreaking havoc on the darkspawn army. Soon the disgusting smell of charred flesh filled the air but it was a much needed first warning. Even the lowliest of beasts feared fire when it proved harmful to them. Even though darkspawn were too mindless to flee, it could at least make them pause for a moment.

My next attach was actually a two-hits-combo, using the great conductivity of water to my advantage. The hearth split in several crevices as water poured out at great pressures all around the darkspawn army. Several of the water blasts caught a good number of them but it was the next attack the real knock-out. With a grin, I looked up as black clouds had finished their gathering and released several high-powered bolts of lightning upon the darkspawn. The fact they were wearing iron armor and were soaked proved their downfall.

It was not a battle. It was pure slaughter, unleashed without restrains on the darkspawn.

Good thing, too. I certainly did not want to get rusty with my abilities. Examining the battlefield, I allowed myself an easy grin. There had been more survivors than expected to my attacks but the once threatening army was now a pitiful thing.

Suddenly, a pain like no one I had felt before ran through me and left me breathless. I knew what that meant the very moment I felt it. Stupid of me to forget just where I was! Something or _someone _had noticed I was in the mortal plane and was trying to get me back to there… The Fade!No, I wouldn't allow it! _She_ had something to do with that, I just knew it! THAT DAMNED WOMAN!

I tried to fight the sensation. It felt like it was ripping me apart and maintaining my manifestation was one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life. Yet my efforts were useless, just like grasping at water. I knew it was of no use, but I couldn't give up. I JUST COULDN'T!

I was fading and I couldn't stop it! No! NO! Screaming like a wild beast, I fell to my knees. The force was now more insistent and my brain, or at least the part where it would be in my body, felt as if it was on fire. Stumbling, I approached the man in golden armor as fast as I could, breathing heavily. It was hard to remain as a whole and that was the first time I experienced this. I was dissipating at a pace speeding up at every second. There was not much more time left.

Another wave of pain made me bend in pain. It was, probably, the worst pain I ever felt.

xxxOOOOxxx

A chilling scream erupted from his mouth, reverberating in the cold, silent stone…

xxxOOOOxxx

I could feel everybody staring at me, wary and tense. I chuckled hoarsely. Yeah, definitely just like old times… I finally dragged myself to the spot where the man was standing but now he too was eyeing me suspiciously.

"Quick, we don't have time! I have wiped out almost –UGH!- all of them. I'm sure you can finish the ones who remain. I- GGH!- I'm vanishing from this plane, so I can't help you anymore!"

"But why?" He asked confused.

I couldn't help but snarl viciously. Was he stupid or what? "I already told you, dumbass! I'm vanishing and…!" I would have gone on, but the deep sound of a warhorn cut me off. My vanishing process forgotten, we both turned slowly to watch the darkspawn leader blowing the warhorn. Even in my state, I could tell _that_ was bad news. Then, another army of darkspawn, this one consisting in Hurlocks and Ogres entirely, appeared from the Korcari Wilds.

And it was large. Twice larger than the one I had almost exterminated.

I looked at the blond man with a serious face though he couldn't see it with me hooded. The despair in his eyes was almost as much as the pain I was feeling. "I don't know your name, but I am sorry. I don't have much more time –few seconds, at best - and you're screwed. Royally screwed. Good luck, you'll need it." Those were my last words but in the last moments of my fading, something caught my senses. I saw a tiny female mage elf, staring at me –like the others, but still… - and for a brief moment we locked eyes. I narrowed my eyes. Something felt off with her… or was in her? I couldn't shake the feeling I should know just what was so strange about that particular elf but the pain was just almost too much to think on it focused. I didn't know how, but somehow… somehow I knew she and I would cross paths again. I didn't know what to make of my hunch.

And with such thoughts, I finally faded like wisps of smoke.

xxxOOOOxxx

Deep inside the Korcari Wilds, an old woman with brown clothes was rereading her grimoires when a sudden twitch in the threads of Reality made her snap up her head. She blinked, really surprised. She hadn't felt a twitch like that in many years. Soon, an amused smiled spread over her face.

"My, my, what's this? It would seem the chain of events has been changed. How interesting… How interesting, indeed. We shall see how it evolves. Indeed, we shall…" She chuckled knowingly and returned to her tomes of arcane spells.

Things had just gotten much more interesting...

She never noticed the figure high up in the trees, staring down at her with pursed lips. Moments later, the figure simply vanished from view, as if it had never been there.

* * *

><p><strong>[240/14**]**:** So this is the rewrite I was speaking about in Ch. 7. Several hints for future plotlines have been added and overall, the quality of the chapter has been improved. At least, I'd like to think so.

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this new chapter and I get more reviews to satiate my thirst! Anyway, from now on, DA:O's storyline begins to diverge. Of course, changes will still be small but they will increase in consequences. I apologize for an almost-canon chapter if anyone's pissed off by that, but as it stands, I really couldn't get around Ostagar without changing it too much.

So, that's it. I hope you like the idea. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Nothing more, see you next time, guys!


	3. Brecilian Mysteries

Hello again, guys! Here I am with the next chapter of The Forgotten! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I own not neither DA:O nor Naruto.

**[14/03/13]:** Chapter revised and checked. The fight with the Revenant has been modified and improved to be more realistic. Other than that, minor changes in descriptions and conversations.

**[07/10/13]:** Fixed a minor mistake about dog's name.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**Brecilian Mysteries**

Today was not being a good day for Loghain.

"I tell you, your Grace, we don't have enough men to guard all our strongholds and positions! It's a miracle we can even stand up to the Darkspawn army!" Rendon Howe tried to explain. The Arl of Amaranthine, recently appointed Teyrn of Highever and Bann of Denerim, was a sneaky, cunning bastard who would hand over his own mother just for the chance to be more powerful and wealthier. Loghain loathed dealing with such sac of scum but even he couldn't deny that the poisonous snake had his uses… "And even so, more than half of the Bannorn is beginning to rise against us, all thanks to Teagan, the fool."

"You don't leave me with much to work with, Bann Howe." Loghain could see the poorly hidden scowl on Rendon Howe's face. Acknowledging him only as a Bann was lowering him in status, as he was also a Teyrn. However, even though Loghain had been a farmer before the Orlesian invasion, he was anything but a fool; he didn't know all the details but he knew Rendon Howe's fame. The long ancient line of Cousland was most likely extinct by now. If the Howe patriarch was something, it was ruthless. He would have to deal with him at some point but that could only be after the Darkspawn invasion. He'd have to stand him… for the time being.

Howe snarled as quietly as he could, though with only both of them in the room, it was like an Ogre walking inside a glass factory. That thought arched, if only slightly, Loghain's lips in a rare smile.

"There's also the… Chantry's situation." That quickly turned his smile into a scowl, souring his mood.

"Well, what does that woman want now?" Loghain growled, irritated.

"Well, her Holiness is preoccupied about the Darkspawn army's rising. In her message she shows worry for the Sisters and any Seekers of Truth that may be currently in Ferelden. Though she doesn't say it outright, she is clever enough to not emit a 'come back' order to Val Royeaux. She also shows interest in the state of the different churches spread around Ferelden as well. She _casually_ states that some are quite run out of money. Charity it's the term I bet she'd use. Of course, she doesn't use so mundane terms, but the true intention is clearly there for anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain," Howe explained with a slight smirk, as if amused by the situation.

Now Loghain recalled the ostentatious ceremony to ascend her to Divine. It'd been quite the topic about months. With only twenty six years and already a Divine.** (1) **Divine Justinia V, that age had caused quite the uproar with most veteran Reverend Mothers. A mere child –compared to them, that is- as the Divine? A preposterous notion for them! Just for that, Loghain harbored a tiny shred of satisfied acceptance towards the woman. Someone capable to piss off those crones with a stick up in their asses was someone truly blessed by the Maker, if he really existed. He didn't have time for religion, anyway.

He didn't remember her face very well… Still, he had a country to rule. Well, more like avoid its total breakdown but still…

Loghain rubbed tiredly his face with a gauntlet hand. Was it too much of him to ask for a nice and perfect day, just once?

"Tell her we can't send funds to the different churches easily enough without losing them. The Darkspawn are spreading around Ferelden from the South and we can't afford losing money required to gather and arm an army. But assure her I'll do what I can after we have dealt with the Darkspawn and we have regained our economic levels. I don't care how you do it, just do it."

Yes, that should do it, a vague promise in a vague timeline. Nobody could be certain how long would take to defeat the Darkspawn army and even how long would take Ferelden to regain its economic strength.

"Of course your Grace. It shall be done."

"Just no bloodbaths this time, Bann Howe," Loghain warned the man with a withering glare which made the man cower for a moment before he stiffly regained his bearings.

"O-of course."

Loghain shook his head with a frown and returned his thoughts to the Divine. Even if he couldn't remember her appearance that well, he did remember her speech. All Divines must make an inaugural speech in their entry to their new status. For the best gifted minds it was easy to discern a pattern in those speeches. Usually and reading between lines, one could see the intentions of the Divine if clever enough. It was the direction she'd bring the Chantry to. Loghain had suspected for some time but never truly believed it. There was no way such politically ambitious individuals would have the sheer foolishness to allow others the chance to know their intentions. Perhaps it was an odd tradition but Loghain certainly made no attempt to understand how the mind of an orlesian worked.

Divine Justinia V's speech had been… interesting, so to speak. He hadn't been present –he certainly would prefer not to set a foot in Orlais if he could help it- but he'd read a transcription of it. Her discourse was apparently conservative and that would put at ease the conservative side of the Chantry – which was obviously the majority-, but she had played them like blind fools, or that's what looked like. Here and there, one could see hidden hints that suggested otherwise. Divine Justinia V seemed to think as a liberalist and intended to get away with her ideas. Who knew if any of the Mothers had noticed, someone had to if he'd managed to read between the lines... In any case, Loghain was sure the Chantry would undergo difficult time soon enough. For better or for worse, that had yet to be seen. He hummed silently to himself, musing.

He was no politician; that much he knew, but that woman could be a rather painful thorn on his side. For now, he would do nothing. It's not like he could realistically do something at all, he had enough dealing with those surviving Grey Wardens and the Darkspawn roaming free. And his position was fragile, at best.

"So… what do we do now with the Bannorn?" Howe asked, shifting slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps he should just stay silent, to make Howe uneasy. Watching him squirm gave him a rather unexpected, but welcome, bout of dark amusement. He had to say something, though; knowing Howe, Ferelden would disappear in a year if he gave free reign to someone as him.

Loghain opened his mouth to speak when a messenger barged into the room, but cowered instantly when the hero of River Dane threw at him an angry glare. He wore clothes dusted and dirtied from the roads and looked quite tired, with dark bags under his eyes.

"Can't you see we're busy, boy?" Loghain questioned with annoyance clear in his voice.

The messenger gulped loudly at that but somehow he managed to get a grip of himself. "I'm sorry, your Lordship! I- I carry an urgent message from Knight-Commander Greagoir, in the Tower of Magi, sir! He said that the Tower is lost; abominations are roaming free in the Tower and killing everyone in sight. The templars have had many casualties and they don't know if there are survivors among the mages. They have retreated to the entrance hall and locked the passage behind them. Knight-Commander Greagoir has sent a message to the Revered Mother asking to apply the Rite of Annulment in the Tower; he also sent me to tell you, just in case."

Loghain groaned a faint, "Great…" and tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose and he eyed a small ornate vase near him, wondering speculatively if smashing it would make him feel better.

Yes, definitely the day could get worse, much worse.

**xxOOOxx**

Neria angrily stormed out of the Elven Ruins, with Alistair, Morrigan, Leliana and her loyal mabari Fang trailing behind her. They had just finished their mission but it so happened that the so called 'evil werewolves' were not as evil as Zathrian wanted them to be seen. True, they weren't saints but they weren't totally evil either. How surprising that Zathrian hadn't said anything about him being the one to cast the curse and thus, the one responsible for Whiterfang's existence. So much for his so called rediscovered immortality…

If Neria hated something, that was being blatantly lied to. They needed the elves' aid, but Zathrian had really made their work harder. Not that she wanted to side with the werewolves either and kill all the dalish elves, but the cursed group had suffered enough. After a tense confrontation, she finally convinced Zathrian to undo the blood magic-curse.

To be honest, she dreaded all the others groups –mages, dwarves and the likes- would be worse, if that was even possible. At least they had slain that dragon from the ruins, even if he was not one of the larger ones. Nonetheless, the beast had amassed quite the fortune and with some interesting weapons. Neria sighed. Well, they finally had some coin which provided a very well needed sensation of economical comfortableness.

And there they were; outside the ruins, covered in blood, tired and moody with all that happened, with one tiny elf mage as a Grey Warden and unspoken leader of their group.

"I'm only saying that even if they killed Zathrian's children, those guys didn't deserve that punishment… not for that long, at least. For how long there were stuck in that werewolf form, anyway?" Alistair argued. "I wonder if they had a solution against the fleas, though…"

"Oh? So you're saying we should defend rapists and the likes?" Morrigan countered quickly, with a hint of amused disdain in her voice. Neria rolled her eyes. Their bickering was amusing, yes, but couldn't they stop for a bloody moment? She locked eyes with Leliana, who grinned at her with mirth in her eyes, clearly enjoying their bickering. At least one of them was.

"What?! No! I'm just saying both parts overreacted! I'm sure there could have been a better idea than to curse those men," the ex-templar-to-be said.

"So you say. I'm sure you would have charmed them with your great intelligence. Speaking of which, I think you should talk with the mutt over here; you need to be with the ones who are on the same level of intelligence as you."

Fang obviously didn't take that comment too well and whined at Morrigan, who heartlessly arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh, and now I should care for hurting your feelings, mangy mutt? Shoo!"

Neria couldn't help the sarcastic snort after that and Neria couldn't help but let out a chuckle, which both Morrigan and Alistair heard.

"Oh, tis funny to you, my dear?" Morrigan asked as she turned to face Neria, who just smirked.

"I was just thinking that I don't know if that's a compliment to Fang or Alistair," she answered and Morrian sighed.

"Oh, I see this will be a looong travel. And stuck with Mr. Intelligence, Ms. Grey Warden, Princess Vision and smelly mutt, no less. Let's not forget that gray bundle of joy back at camp, either. Lovely," she muttered dryly.

Neria laughed quietly and said, "You'll get used to it, Morrigan. I'm sure."

"Neria, how can you let her say such things to me! I'm hurt."

"Please, as you could tell the difference between a compliment and a jibe directed at you," Morrigan smugly countered.

"Hey, I resent that! Of course I can, it's just that… huh… I don't put myself into it! Yeah, that's it!" Alistair replied crossing his arms, which made Fang bark as if laughing at him.

"See? Even the mutt agrees with me," Morrigan countered with a smirk and then Fang whined again, affronted by the recurrent depreciative description.

While she and Alistair kept on their verbal fight, Neria let herself sank into the memories of recent events.

When Neria had felt the spirit's gaze upon her, a sudden cold in her spine had made her flinch, trembling. It had felt like the spirit was staring at her very own core, her very existence and deeming if she was worthy or not… It was for only a moment but it made her stager backwards. Luckily, Alistair had been next to her, so she didn't fall.

Not too long after that, they had to fight for their lives and Neria was not ashamed to affirm she had been slightly terrified of the fight. She just fought in automatic pilot, without thinking. She cast the few healing spells she knew when necessary on the men that were around her –and Alistair, of course- sending shockwaves, stonefists, and fire spells non-stopping except for when the need to swallow down a lyrium potion became too much to resist. With a group of thirty men and three mages, they managed to kill a great number of darkspawn forces but it was to no avail. An ogre, backed up by a squad of hurlocks leaded by an emissary, slaughtered them and the ogre knocked Alistair out with a very powerful swipe that sent shivers down Neria's spine; for a moment she felt lucky it was him and not her, though she immediately felt guilty for thinking in that way. Neria, not knowing what to do, managed to grab him and slip unnoticed to the forest, were she passed out from her own injures.

She still could remember how fuzzy the moments just after her awakening in Morrigan mother's house were. She could easily remember the feelings of loss for Duncan. During the little time from the Tower to Ostagar, she had come to see him like a kind man, yet stern and unyielding when needed. The idea of his death inflicted sorrow to her heart. Even if he was human, he didn't make distinctions between elves or humans, mages or not, and that really touched Neria.

And then, she was asked to assemble an army of dwarves, elves, mages and perhaps, Arl Eamon's knights to slay the Archdemon, just like that. And what about her, didn't she have even the right to say if that was what she wanted? Perhaps she didn't want to be a hero; the Darkspawn taint would surely corrupt her in thirty, thirty five years if she was lucky, she had a very little hope of having a child –though until she found out, she hadn't thought too much about _that_- and only uncertainty lay ahead of her.

Neria felt a sudden feeling of frustration and mid resentment towards Alistair. He was the senior Grey Warden between them! Why had she to be the leader? She hadn't even been a Grey Warden for a month and already had the fate of Ferelden on her shoulders? Neria repressed the urge to snarl furiously. She could understand Alistair to some extent. He hadn't been trained to lead, that much she could tell, tough she knew there was more in his past than he told. His story about being raised quite poorly as the kennel's boy in arl Eamon's mansion brought up more unanswered question than otherwise.

Thanks to whatever deity listening that Duncan had given her the treaties before going off to the King's side. A hunch in my old bones, he'd said with a dark expression.

She couldn't deny the fact that she didn't trust Alistair completely. Not yet, at least. With his raising as templar novice, as much as he denied it, she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable around him and the both of them were aware of this. Neria had seen enough beatings given to the children back in the Tower by the templars that she couldn't avoid be slightly distrustful around him, walls raised. Sometimes the abuse in the Circle was not even physical. It was truly a frightening sight how some well placed words could turn innocent children into a crying, sobbing mess. And Neria hated seeing that for she had helped those new kids more times than she wanted to count. She could intellectually understand the reason but that was going far, too far to be morally acceptable.

'_Not that the people outside care about it, anyway. As long as we're safely locked away in the Tower so the freaks don't break panic among the population, it's of no interest what happens in it,'_ Neria bitterly thought. Thankfully, she could keep most of her ill feelings around Alistair in check.

She briefly wondered where Anders would be now; he was one of the few to befriend her back in the Tower. He was like Duncan, he didn't make distinction between elves or humans. Unlike Duncan though, he flirted with her a lot and hit on her more times she liked to remember but she cherished their friendship as one of the most valuable things she had. She could respect his desire to flee from the Tower although she had always felt a bit egoistic because she didn't want one of the few individuals to truly care about her leave. It was odd as she could understand why he attempted so many times to flee but couldn't understand what drove him to carry on with his attempts. Anders had been caught and brought to the Tower when he was a young boy of twelve and thus, he tried to explain to her the world outside the Tower. Neria couldn't understand back then but now… Now she could easily see why Anders tried so hard to escape.

The world outside was simply beautiful. Or at least, it's nature.

So caught up was Neria in her musings that she didn't notice Leliana sneaking up on her.

"Neria. Something on your mind?" she asked, startling the mage, who looked at her suspiciously. It was hard to not to; her first impression in the group had not been a good one. Alistair even called her Princess Stabbity from time to time just for fun, a reminder of their first meeting at Lothering. Neria just didn't trust her. Like Alistair, there was more in her than she showed. Neria sighed internally. Why her band of companions had to be so… so odd? Well, Alistair's goofiness was a good way to liberate stress, if it was a bit annoying after a whole week of it. Even if Morrigan mocked him because of it, Neria found it amusing and funny. It was good to laugh for a change.

Blinking, Neria reminded herself she still had to respond to Leliana.

"Just thinking about stuff..." she commented.

Leliana smiled at her. "Care to share?" she asked, curiosity lacing her voice. Neria pondered saying 'no' for a moment but alienating her like that would probably make their travels even harder and more awkward than necessary.

"Well, I was just thinking about this whole mission to get the help of the Dalish clans. More like a whole mess, I'd say. I hope the mages and the Dwarves are not like this," she told her with a small huff, while Leliana nodded comprehensibly.

"Mm, at least we finally have the Dalish's help. But I agree with you, what Zathrian did was not justice; it was simple vengeance. The Maker doesn't approve such things but humans, elves, dwarves and others alike, we are not perfect."

Neria snorted and sarcastically muttered something unflattering about Leliana's words. If the redhead heard her, she didn't show it but Neria promptly bit her tongue though; she didn't want to augment her headache with a theological discussion about the existence or not of the Maker. Neria personally thought it was stupid to believe in a supreme entity that released the Darkspawn upon the world just because the actions of some old coots of the Tevinter Imperium dead long ago. But that was just her opinion.

"I must confess I'm not looking forward returning to the Tower either. The situation when I left was not all that pleasant and we better not expect a warming welcome from the templar," Neria admitted with a frown that slightly twisted her features. It was rather cute if she said for herself, thought Leliana but she knew better than to blurt out those words. Neria was already wary of her, and that would surely add more reasons to her distrust. Instead, the bard decided to ask about her last statement.

"I take your leave from the Tower was not a peaceful one," she assumed with an unasked question.

Neria didn't fall for that. "Yes. Greagoir -the Knight-Commander of the Tower, that is- and I didn't part ways in the best friendly terms. I don't think they will dare to capture me or try to kill Morrigan with all the Grey Wardens stuff thing going on, but I'd prefer not risk it." And with that Neria sent a stare to Leliana which said basically 'Don't ask again' so the former lay sister from Lothering wisely backed off in her questions.

"You fool of a man! Get off me! Now!"

The sharp insult from Morrigan attracted their attention to the other two and both girls had to suppress their laughter immediately. Alistair and Morrigan were on the ground with the Grey Warden on top of her in a rather compromising position. The apostate from the Wilds had a reddened face from the fury and shame, which reddened even more when she saw the barely hidden smirks plastered upon the faces of the other females of their group.

Neria knew that maybe she would regret it but she knew it was worth it, so she couldn't stop herself from teasing. "Aw, Alistair, I didn't' know the wild and untamable witch from the Wilds Morrigan would catch your fancy, but I think that's not the way to gain the love of a lady," she teased and the mage elf had to bit a lip to avoid laughing when she heard Leliana giggling.

An indignant shout of, "Hey! Stop making fun of me!" was Alistair's only response to that. He seemed to have fallen into a little hole in the ground and couldn't take out his boot from it, dragging Morrigan with him in a poor attempt to stay straight.

"Well, what are you two waiting for?! Get this mabari trapped in human body off me!" Morrigan snapped angrily, which was met by more laughter, though Neria did approach them and helped Alistair to free his poor foot. Morrigan, for her part, stormed away quickly, putting as much distance between them as she could with a murderous glare.

Without saying anything else save the occasional giggles from Leliana, the group made their way out of the Brecilian forest, quickly arriving at the northern section of the East Brecilian Forest when Alistair called out, "Hey, look at that! Isn't that one of those gravestones we activated earlier before entering into the Ruins?" he said as he pointed at said gravestone, which was placed in front of some Tevinter ruins.

The group approached to the gravestone as they took out their weapons. They'd gotten a little nasty surprise when, after the first gravestone was activated, a very powerful enemy called Revenant had appeared. Neria checked her new attire; with the discovered secrets of the Arcane Warrior art, Neria found out she could wear armor as long as she used her magic to enhance her body. Better yet, her own body regulated unconsciously the amount of magic needed so she could focus in battle. She made sure that the elven ancient armor, its boots and its helmet were correctly in place and nodded to herself; that would provide far more protection than the usual mage robes against something like a Revenant. They positioned themselves around the gravestone. Neria glanced at them and asked, "Ready?" When she received affirmative nods, Neria touched the stone and muttered the words from the gravestone to raise the protector guardian, trapped there by a Magister forgotten long ago.

The Revenant appeared swinging its ancient sword from a previous era and targeted Neria, as she was in direct line of its sight. However, she froze it momentarily with a Cone of Cold before he could finish the might blow, and Alistair quickly took advantage of it, stabbing its side with his newly acquired Dar'Misaan. Unfortunately, the Revenant quickly unfroze and bashed Alistair with its Tevinteran shield whilst batting away Leliana's constant arrows. Some of them slipped under its guard but they didn't manage to pierce the enchanted armor of the abomination. Morrigan combined a Shock spell with one of Neria's, increasing the damage substantially, making the beast screech a terrifying cry of pain and rage.

"Damn, my ears! What do they feed these things to make them so loud?" Alistair complained with a pained grimace.

"Stop whining and make yourself useful, fool!" Morrigan retorted as she nimbly sidestepped a strike meant to cut her in half.

In that moment, the Revenant stabbed his weapon into the ground and stretching a hand out, he summoned Alistair to its feet as it swung widely its two-handed weapon with only one hand, deactivating the attack pattern from the group. Alistair put up his shield as he tried to scramble to his feet and managed to block the attack but his shield, already weakened from all the previous fighting, splintered brutally with a creaking sound and staggered Alistair, stunning him. Morrigan, who only had a moment to react, ducked skillfully to avoid being beheaded and the Revenant used the momentary distraction to attack Neria, who side-stepped to dodge a vertical slash and casted a Stonefist that, while did not knock it down, it did back it off, stumbling.

Then Fang, who had gone ahead on the road, appeared from the bushes and attacked the appeared from behind with a powerful howl and unbalanced the spirit, which was falling towards Alistair's side. The ex templar-to-be, who held his ground, let out a furious roar and beheaded the Revenant with a horizontal strike, spraying black blood in their robes, armor and skin. The Revenant, this time missing its head, slowly slumped to the ground with a 'thud' and Neria sighed.

"Seesh, Alistair, did you have to be so vocal in the finishing?" she commented as she examined the blood on her body with a look of slight revulsion.

He grinned goofily and bowed. "Oh, I'm sorry to be a disturbance. Did I hurt your beautiful ears with my manly shout?" Alistair teased back, which made Neria blush slightly and look away. Morrigan grumbled something about 'stupid blond templars…' while Fang was busy licking himself, taking away all blood from the Revenant.

Neria smiled at him as she scratched him behind the ears. "You were amazing, Fang. Thank you, big guy," she complimented, to which he barked happily.

"Wait, why are _you_ not drenched in blood?" Alistair suddenly accused Morrigan when he realized she was completely bare of black blood.

She only arched a thin arrow at him. "Unlike you, I'd rather not bathe in blood," she dryly remarked.

Leliana, who was standing on the sidelines watching them with a smile, suddenly gasped. All eyes turned at her but she quickly pointed at the corpse of the Revenant, which had started to glow with a blood-like hue. The corpse disintegrated itself into dust but the glow remained, this time like a fog of the same color, which spread on the ground and began to… levitate towards the ruins.

The group too shocked and perplexed to do anything at all, watched silently as the fog seeped into the remaining Tevinter ruins, which began to pulse with the same color of the fog.

"Hey, shouldn't we, I dunno, prepare ourselves or something like that? You know, just in case," Alistair commented wearily.

"Amazing, he's said something intelligent for once!" Morrigan mocked with an astonished tone before Neria could say anything and Alistair threw a dirty look at her. The younger Grey Warden frowned.

"Not right now, Morrigan. This is serious. Draw your weapons and don't drop your guard, this is not time to goof off." The others obeyed her without questions, accepting her leadership, and all of them prepared to face whatever was in store for them.

The ruins glowered brighter one more time before stopping. The group felt a little ridiculous in front of some peaceful ruins with the weapons drawn.

"Uhh, was that supposed to happen?" Alistair asked worriedly, but the blonde got his response when the sound of oxidized mechanisms began to echo in the clear. An unpleasant shriek of metal scratching metal filled their ears, which made them flinch. And then a passage opened itself in the ground. They approached cautiously and stared at open entry. It was mainly a long and old dusty ladder made of stone, filled with mud and dirt. The stairs led to an ancient looking gate-like door.

"Should we look into this?" Alistair asked to Neria, who rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Then she turned to look at Leliana.

"Leliana, you said you were a bard before going to Lothering and you told me you know stories and stuff about some places? Do you remember hearing something about this in some place?" she asked and Leliana shook her head after a moment of thinking.

"Not that I can recall. There's nothing like this in any story I can remember about the Brecilian forest. But it's not so strange after all. The Brecilian forest is old, very old, and who knows how many secrets it holds undisturbed…" she said shrugging her shoulders sympathetically.

"I don't remember reading about such place back in the Tower either… If there's something down there, it must be extremely old… Alright, I think we should go in, just to check it out. If Leliana is right, then we have come across a long forgotten tomb or something like that, so it could very well have something valuable. Weapons or perhaps money that we could use for the Blight," Neria replied.

"What?! Are you being serious? We can't disturb the dead! It's just not done. That's pure looting!" Alistair echoed his disagreement with the idea.

"Objection noted," Neria grunted irritably. "Now, let me ask you something, Alistair. Do you see us wealthy or some patron who takes pity on us and gives us money? No. Do you see anyone helping us for the simple pleasure of helping the Grey Wardens or just for doing what's right? No. You see it? No one will bother helping us if we don't help them first! As much as we dislike it, we are alone in this fight, because if we don't assemble the army or gather all the help we can, no one will! Right now, we have to call upon the old treaties if we want to get help and we already have a problem in Loghain. So, please tell me Alistair, why shouldn't we take useful things from the dead if they won't need in the afterlife?" she questioned, though when she finished no one said anything, the tension in the air making the atmosphere thick.

"Twas a very well reasoned explanation. And true, nonetheless," Morrigan nodded with a slight smirk, approval clear in her voice.

Alistair, who had looked abashed at the rant, gritted his teeth at Morrigan's remark. Oh, how she _loved_ to get on his nerves! However, he could see the truth in Neria's words and stared down at the ground before sighing heavily. "You're right… I'm sorry, Neria, I know that we can't afford being respectful and all that with the Blight over our heads, it's just that it feels… wrong," he said weakly, lifting his gaze to meet hers. Her being right did not make it any easier to accept for him but she sighed too. Hers was a tired sigh.

"I know, Alistair. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"Oh, don't' worry. I know you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders, I understand. Anyway, are we good?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"We are," she answered, smiling back, but a throat clearing attracted their attention to Morrigan, who was standing there next to Leliana with her arms crossed.

"Well, now that you two have sorted that out in a clear moment of rainbows and roses, shall we see what's inside the tomb?" she drawled impatiently, tapping the ground with her foot.

"Uhh, y-yes, of course… Very well, prepare your weapons. The usual tactic; Alistair, you go with Fang in front of us, Morrigan and I we'll go after you two with our magic and Leliana will provide supportive fire as well as offensive. Stay alert and it shouldn't be much of a trouble," Neria advised, getting nods and a low bark of acknowledgment. They finally made their way into the tomb and Alistair approached the double door.

"Neria, there's a strange symbol in the door. Can you recognize it?" Said person looked at the symbol in the door. It was a strange; it looked like an elongated rhombus with another one above the first, crossing it in the middle and forming a cross-like form. The colors, if there had been at some point, had faded long ago.

"No, I didn't see anything like that in the Tower. It doesn't matter though, we'll find out in few minutes, I guess. Come on, let's move," Neria ordered, opening the door with a low grunt and they walked into a corridor.

It had statues of many types, though most had the face erased or the statues were simply beheaded. For their clothes it was obvious they belonged to a primeval era, one of the first Ages, perhaps, or maybe one even older, before the creation of the Chantry. Neria looked with interest the statues. It was not every day you stumbled upon a tomb that could be very well the archeological discovery of the Dragon Age. Most of them seemed to be warriors, though here and there you could see a priest or a female-looking statue. Surprisingly, some of them seemed to be mages.

"Wow, these statues are pretty old. I wonder just how old they actually are," Leliana murmured. Her voice seemed to be filled with reverential respect, as if sensing that was a place of solemnity.

"We will find out sooner than later," Neria replied. "This place seems to have been undisturbed for ages, look at those cobwebs. Watch out for spiders, you all; they are rather big if we take in account the ones we crossed across in the Brecilian ruins." The others nodded and avoided some of the fallen statues and lay crushed on the ground. They finally reached the end of the corridor and found another double door and they stopped to examine it. Alistair approached with a tiny red flame Neria had formed to provide light.

"I don't like this at all. Look at those metal bars," he said out loud with a frown and Neria looked at the bars worriedly. "What about them?" she asked.

"They form a special mechanism that's meant to block all attempts to break in whatever there is inside… or escape. If one tried to break in, the bars would be put under strain and would active a mechanism that would block the door, presumably forever. The same goes for the insiders if they try to get out of the room. But this model is old, pretty old. I'm surprised that it even existed in the era it was placed. Of course, there are patterns that I don't recognize… but the essence is there. I get a bad feeling from this, Neria. Whoever constructed this place, it's clear he wanted no one getting into this tomb… or getting out," he explained gravelly and nobody said anything until Neria shrugged.

"Well, we've already been in ruins like the ones in this same forest, so I don't think this one can be as scary as that. We're going in. So, Alistair, how can we enter?" she said.

"Well, I don't know much about this type of system. I mean, it's at least almost three or four Ages old, but this suggests it can be even much older. The mechanism is tricky, because while it follows a same design, it was created thinking in changing parts and adding others, changing the entire structure itself, so that means any with the ability could build one of these and change the design enough so you would be the only who could pass the door. Anyway, these doors have been here for quite a while, so I believe with a powerful blast of your magic it should be enough for us to enter," Alistair elaborated. Neria nodded, somewhat surprised to his sudden show of serious professionalism, and went to call upon her magic when Leliana, who had approached to the door to examine it, gasped in utter surprise.

"What is it, Leliana?" Neria asked curiously. The readhead turned to look at her with her jaw slightly dropped from her surprise.

"This door… it has an inscription in it," she revealed and Neria noticed her voice was trembling but she just crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow

"So?" It was not that shocking, honestly. Although Neria conceded that she had an interest in historical matters, having been raised in a tower with thousands of books, there were more pressing matters at hand.

"The inscription is written in runic, one of the first dialects of the Chant of Light! Moreover, it's just in one or two passages only, meaning that's one of the oldest, if not the oldest!" she explained giddily. Neria almost chuckled; she looked about to jump around in glee.

"Can you translate it?" she asked with hope. Perhaps it would tell them what was inside the tomb. The redhead frowned but nodded unsurely.

"I can try but this is a very old dialect and I never finished my studies in old Chantry dialects. I can give it a shot though, if you want," she offered with a sheepish smile and Neria nodded. "Very well, let's see… This is the rune means old… that one, protection… this could mean… very powerful or very dangerous, I'm not too sure. The rune used can mean both things… It could also mean paladin, even if this meaning it's only in a dialect no recognized by the Chantry. This one means protections… this one, eternity… this one could be a variation of sorrow or fade… oh… how strange…" Leliana trailed off.

"What's strange, Leliana?" Neria asked impatiently. Morrigan must've been bored out of her mind as she'd taken out a tome of spells and begun reading while Alistair was polishing his sword with a rock. Fang was nowhere to be seen, probably having run off to somewhere else.

"Well, this is like a combination of two runes. I didn't think that could be even accepted in runic grammar. It'd mean, roughly translated 'two in one'… I don't know… One and one? One plus one? What could this mean?" she mused but Neria shrugged.

"We'll find out in a couple of minutes."

She turned to face the door and frowned, concentrating her magical force to destroy the door. In the Brecilian ruins, they had stumbled upon a rare stone that contained an elf's vital force. She had been understandably shocked when the elf inside the stone had told her with images that he was an Arcane Warrior, someone who used the magical power in their veins to strengthen the mage's body and allow them to carry a weapon and wear armor. It had been another surprise to find out that he was the only one remaining with such knowledge. The order of the Arcane Warriors had been dead since millennia ago and for a little small favor, he would pass his knowledge onto her but only if she put an end to his miserable, eternal life.

Neria, receiving the memories of a war in which he fought, took pity on him and finally released him of his misery. But the memories troubled her, humans and elves had been fighting until some unknown enemy obliged the retreat from both armies. But that was for another time to study. Now, they had a door to send to hell.

Casting aside her staff and concentrating her newfound powers in her arms, these powers glowed with ethereal white and forming intricate patterns. The others gasped, though it was Morrigan who voiced louder her perplexity at the view of magic most likely rediscovered. She was the one with enough magical knowledge to understand that. Neria opened her eyes and they too were glowing white though they had a trace of purple in them, changing her usual sea-green eyes. Not that the others could see, anyway.

"Alright! Stand back, I'm going to blast this door!" she yelled. Raising her arms, Neria sent a burst of pure magic to the door, where it crashed quite furiously trying to get through.

The thing is that, while pure magic is in a complete higher league of power than normal magic, if not controlled, it can degrade rapidly into a very nasty business. So, when Neria untapped unknowingly a power within her and sent it to the door, it triggered the ancient magical wards protecting the door from being broken. This same wards were placed in case someone tried to put his or her hands on the things inside the room and thus, following the purpose they were built for which was destroying anyone who tried to force their entree to the room.

The doors shimmered with a deep green sickly color and with a loud bang, the pure magic was rebounded and sent back to them, or more specifically, towards Alistair, whose face drained from all blood.

"Alistair!" Neria yelled and she felt adrenaline being bumped in her veins. Reacting quickly, she erected a sparkling shield seconds before the magic hit Alistair, colliding with Neria's shield and provoking a reactive reaction, as the shield and the magic nullified each other with a sickening crunching sound. Neria fell to her knees trying to regain her breath while sweat covered her face and the others rushed to her side. Neria stood with Morrigan's help, who looked at her with a tad of genuine worry.

With a grateful smile, Neria felt a sudden irritation spread in her. More so, she felt angry. No way in hell a door was going to stop her! She had enough problems to be stopped by a mere bloody door! She was going to blast that damn door to nothingness! With her anger, she felt her magical levels spike up again, and she remembered briefly one of her classes back in the Tower when the teacher explained how emotions influenced spellcasting, greatly weakening it or strengthening it to frightening levels. The teacher, to prove it, told the tale of Narssina, a Tevinter magister that, enraged by her husband's death, had wiped out with a single spell the tower where his assassins were, destroying the building and sterilizing the soil around thousands of yards from all life for centuries, even if she died in the process.

But that memory disappeared quickly from Neria's mind as she sheeted with a mixture of anger, frustration and irritation. It was then when all the pressure put on her shoulders since almost three weeks before reached its peak and that, combined with the anxiety to save Ferelden, living on the run and the tiredness from their previous fights, made her finally snap.

With a deadly chilling growl, her usual cheerful and friendly eyes adopted a startling cold look. She had a goal and right now, that goal was to enter in that damn tomb and no door was going to stop her from achieving what she wanted. She narrowed her eyes, which were burning with cold rage. Raising her arms once again, she focused her magical powers, but the others, who were mildly concerned and just a tad frightened of her, noticed that this time she seemed to enter in a state of trance. Again, the complex patterns of ancient magic appeared in her arms but this time the magic looked erratic, wild and unstable and its color was a deep black.

"OUT. OF. MY. WAY!" she roared furiously and swinging her arms, she cast a rage-infused **Stonefist** that slammed brutally against the door and after several minutes of opposite magics clashing, Neria's spell banged open the door while taking it out of its hinges with a metallic shriek.

Neria gave a smile of accomplishment and immediately fell to the ground, breathing heavily and shaking furiously. With a shout the others rushed to her side again and could see the paleness of her face that gave her a not very healthy appearance.

"Neria, Neria! You ok? Please, say something!" shouted Alistair while Morrigan casted the few minor healing spells she knew on her.

"Shut up, my head hurts," she mumbled and the others let out a sigh of relief.

Leliana squeezed reassuringly her shoulder. "You scared me, Neria. I thought you had put too much power in that spell."

"I myself am curious about the magic you used-," Morrigan began but seeing the heated glare Alistair was sending her way, she finished her sentence with a rare bout of concern, "-but seeing as you're nearly falling over, I suppose 'twill be for another time." Of course, Morrigan didn't state what she was thinking. This… incident with Neria should be studied later.

Neria nodded gratefully and stood shakily and gave them a weak smile. "So, shall we explore this place?"

Without wasting much more time, they made their way to the destroyed door, which lead to another corridor.

"Great. If we encounter another magical-locked door, I'm not opening the door," the junior Grey Warden grumbled.

Thankfully for her, the corridor led to granite door which was not blocked but the omen in it was not… a good sign.

_"Beware thou, who in thy foolishness have come to this tomb. Old friend turned foe lays dormant in this place, behind mighty wards to behold. Thou, who seek thy destruction, warned have been. Do not disturb the sleep of the one who dreams the eternal sleep or evil shalt be casted upon thy land."_

"…Well… This sucks."

"… It doesn't look too good. Are you sure of this, Neria?"

Morrigan added her two cents. "While I loathe to, I can't help but agree with the buffoon here." She ignored Alistair's shout of indignation. "We don't know who or what is it… whatever is inside. Normally, warnings such as this one are put for a reason. Why should we cast aside such a warning as clear as this one?"

"Yeah, because you're a good judge of things, right?" Alistair rebutted sarcastically. "Need I remind you that you're an _apostate_? For all we know, you could be meddling in blood magic," he accused.

"Oh? Is little goody templar boy afraid of the dark, bad witch? Rest assured that if I were a bloodmage, you'd be the first to know… and not in a good way," Morrigan smiled darkly at him.

Alistair furrowed his eyebrows but then he gave her a crooked smile. "Do you want to get a Holy Smite in the face?"

"Do you want to lose your only tool to father children, as dumb as they would be?" she threatened back.

Alistair blushed a bright red from utter embarrassment and opened his mouth to stutter a reply to counter hers, but Neria shut him up.

"Enough! I'm getting tired of your endless bickering and fights. While I don't mind in our camp or other places, I won't allow it in a moment like this because I can't concentrate correctly if I hear your constant jibes at each other. Wait till you get to camp to rip each other's head off." Alistair tried to protest but a quick glare from Neria put him in his place. For her part, Morrigan seemed to accept her words with an almost non-existent smile. "We're entering this place, and nothing any of you say will change it, so move along. We're wasting time here and I'd rather be at the camp than here," Neria berated them mildly annoyed.

"Fine, fine…" Alistair grumbled. "Damn, she's nuttier than the Grand Cleric," he muttered under his breath.

Neria narrowed her eyes. "Care to repeat that, dear Alistair?" She asked with a dangerously calm voice and the blonde gulped - quite loudly, by the way- and decided it'd be an intelligent move to look away and try to seem embarrassed.

"Nothing, nothing." Neria nodded approvingly at his response.

"Good answer, now let's enter this room for once and for all." Neria grabbed her staff and positioned herself in front of the door. "Ready?" After a chorus of 'Yes's and 'Of course's, Neria decided it was time to stop beating around the bush and enter. "Right, there we go…" And with a single spell, she blasted the door and they strode in. It was austere; there were just some cabinets and chests, but few more. The dust and rub in some places of the chamber must mean there had been old tapestries there.

With the aid of Neria's magical light the group noticed the chamber's side, which was huge. It seemed as if the chamber was some sort of a ceremonial hall. There were two long rows of thick, marble columns with unknown signs engraved into their surface. Neria noticed that in some of them there were several engravings that resembled some scenes, like the events of some book. An old, rotten long ago red carpet took them to the farthest point of the chamber, a stone staircase with wide stairs. They hurried upstairs the staircase but when they were at the top they stopped dead in their tracks.

Before them there was a throne, made of black stone and it carried an ominous look. It was as if the throne itself were emitting terrible waves of dread with its mere presence. The armrest were made of black granite and in the front of each armrest was engraved a little figure; they were two little beings that had two small pointed horns in their skull and also two small wings. They both had a buff figure and were carrying a longsword in a threatening stance with fierce looks in their faces. The backrest of the throne had small spikes around the top that oddly, seemed fitting for such throne taken from some warlord's nightmare.

But what truly paralyzed them was what rested on the throne. Because on the throne sat a human. A _living_ human, Neria noticed. Grabbing her staff with a tight grip, she approached cautiously to the throne and she could notice some more things: the almost non-existent breathing, his dirty blond hair… She could tell the sex of this human –a male- thanks to his well-built upper muscles, not overly, but it was evident that women's were not. Neria blushed a bright shade of red at his well developed chest but trying to not to focus too much in that, she gasped when she noticed the chains around him, trapping him on the throne.

She tried to run to him but a bluish dome cracked furiously around the throne with white sparks and Neria decided it would do not good for her skin to be burnt. She snorted in annoyance and opened her mouth.

"Damn… Hey, you! Come one, wake up! You have to wake up!" Sadly, nothing she said had an effect on him. "This is going to take a while, I just know it…" Then she noticed the runes engraved in the chains, glowing red for a moment before fading away.

Then the others approached as well until they were standing next to her. And Morrigan was the first to talk. "So… this is the one we should fear as he would spread a reign of fear around the world? Looks like just a man to me, but I know very well how looks can be _extremely_ deceiving," she stated with a pensive frown.

"Maker's breath! We have to help him! Maker knows how long has he been trapped in here!" Leliana shouted, worry on her features. Neria fidgeted nervously, which Alistair caught on.

"What's wrong, Neria?"

She bit her lip, unsure about how to begin. "Well… we know for sure that no one has broken in here," she started slowly and the others nodded. "Then… how is it possible that he's still alive and not a dusty mass of bones and bone powder?" she asked without looking away from his form.

An uneasy silence spread around them. "And look at those chains… They were meant to restrain him, to keep him from moving." The others listened to her with rapt attention as she paced in front of them, at a safe distance from the bluish camp of force. "What I can't understand is why he's still here. Obviously, he was placed here against his will. The chains tell us that much… but why remain here, then? Eventually, he would have awakened and then he could have broken these chains and escaped. What could possibly hold him here? An stasis spell, perhaps? I know that several of them are designed to last, but still… Mmm, this is odd…" Neria trailed off.

"Well, you're the one Tower-raised so do the work for us, will you?" Alistair laughed, making her huff and shook her head.

"It's not that easy! First of all, I must know the way he's trapped in, so I can work on the way to get him out of…" she had begun to say but stopped in the middle of her sentence when her eyes caught the glimpse of a summoning fount, just like the ones from the Tower. She ran towards it with a huge smile threatening to appear in her face.

"Neria, what are you doing?" Leliana asked her.

Neria, while examining the summoning fount, found out that there was still the special water prepared specifically for summoning and she answered Leliana's question. "Well, you see, this thing here is a summoning fount and one here indicates that there was sort of complex spell here at some point. I intend to use it to awake him up."

Leliana looked doubtful, as did Alistair. The only one who didn't seemed affected in the least was Morrigan, as she knew what exactly a summoning fount was, even if she hadn't ever seen one.

"What I don't quite understand is how are you going to use this… summoning fount the wake him up," Alistair said, shaking his head. And then an idea crossed her mind, a crazy, foolish idea, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Neria couldn't stop herself from grinning with a slightly feral grin.

"Oh, that? Well, that's rather easy. I'm going to enter the Fade."

* * *

><p><strong>(1): <strong>Divine V's age has been changed for this fic as she's going to have an important role in this story.

Actually, I planned to do the chapter until they met whatever is inside the tomb but I realized I was going on and on that I decided to cut here and put it in the next chapter.


	4. The Forgotten One

**Disclaimer**: Hey, did you know? I do not own DA:O or Naruto!

**[03/09/13]:** Heavily edited and modified chapter. The conversation between Neria and Naruto is mostly different from before and the zombie scene has been improved a bit.

**[07/10/13]:** Fixed a minor mistake with the dog's name.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**The Forgotten One**

"You're going to what?" Alistair asked in disbelief while Neria examined the summoning fount. Behind him, Fang growled slightly at him.

The blonde mage lifted her gaze from the summoning fount and met his, their eyes fighting a battle of wills as Neria answered. "I thought I had said it quite clearly. I'm going to enter the Fade using this summoning fount."

"But why? You know better than us there are demons in the Fade and you and Morrigan are the most perceptive to their calls. You can't be thinking seriously about doing this," Alistair shook his head, furrowing his brows.

Neria just huffed with irritation. "Look, Alistair. I really appreciate your concern about me, but I already faced demons in my Harrowing in the Tower. Actually, I killed one and discovered one in disguise so I think I can look after myself. We're already here and we are not going back with empty hands."

"But what if you're turned into an abomination?" He asked and Neria noticed the accusatory tone in his voice though she made sure not to show any reaction as she crossed her arms in defiance. She didn't want them to know how much the possibility of becoming an abomination scared her.

"Then you'll have to strike me down. It's as simple as that." Alistair looked to be taken aback a lot by her words when he tried to say something but nothing came out.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. This place gives me the creeps. I have a feeling-" At that, Morrigan snorted rather loudly and the blond warrior sent her a scathing look. "-and I don't know why, but something's gonna happen and I don't think it's going to be something good," Alistair tried to explain but shook his head in defeat when his plea met Neria's thick stubbornness.

She stared at him until he started to shift uncomfortably. Then, she let a small smile appear in her face. "Well, look at it this way. If something happens, we can use the battle to make a bit of warm up before going to bed," she joked and her lame attempt at it made him smile a little.

Neria had a hard time not bursting out laughing when Morrigan sighed with theatrical despair and muttered something in the lines of 'Grey Wardens and their stupid bad jokes'. No one wanted to say out loud that if a fight broke out, it would be against a demon possessing Neria.

"Anyway, us standing here and making idle chitchat is not going to resolve the situation we're in. As I see it, we have two options: we can leave now or we can try to wake him up so we can get some answers," Neria offered.

"I vote for leaving," Alistair spoke up immediately. Neria looked at the former Chantry's lay-sister.

"Leliana?" Said person sighed heavily with a worried expression, the first Neria had seen in the face of the normally cheerful woman. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say.

"I don't know, Neria. This escapes our comprehension. We don't know who is he or why is down here trapped with chains and magical wards," Neria nodded understandingly but not letting her true emotions show and turned to Morrigan, who was looking at her nails rather bored. Neria was going to ask for her opinion but she beat her to it.

"I don't know why you're going to ask such a question. 'Tis obvious that I want to find out this mystery and he could, most likely, enlighten us on that matter. Therefore, I think my opinion is clear. If he gets out of control, we shall dispose of him."

Neria let out a small chuckle and looked at Fang, who barked happily and began chasing his tail. Neria raised her eyes and looked at Alistair with a smug smirk. "See, Alistair? Even Fang approves. Three against two. We wake him up."

"Hey, Fang's a dog! He doesn't count!" Alistair whined.

It was then when Morrigan decided to speak her mind, "And yet, you're _still_ the dumbest one in the party," she sarcastically remarked, earning an amused snort from Neria while Alistair fumed silently.

"Alright, alright! Stop bickering you two."

"How will you do it though, Neria?" Leliana asked quietly. "I am, by any means, no expert, but even I can see that there is more than just this summoning fount for whatever ritual you have in mind."

Neria nodded. "Yes, there is more but it's very simple, actually. The summoning fount is important, indeed, but not essential. Any mage very skilled in the art could do it with the essential parts of the ritual to enter the Fade," she explained.

"Which would be…?"

"A sufficient enough amount of lyrium… and a strong will, of course. In fact, that's about it. Quite simple, without grand moves or theatrical stuff. I know some mages back at the Circle who thought that being a mage was basically having a long white beard, twinkling eyes and a look of knowledge. But that was a very little part of the Circle. Most of my… acquaintances were dead serious about being a mage," she told her and Morrigan snorted quite delighted.

At Neria's puzzled look, she elaborated on her amused behavior. "You don't seem to be very fond of the Circle, my dear Warden."

Neria shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say. "Well, from what I've seen, the idea of the Circle is needed, as much as it pains me to admit it. The possibility of mages turning to blood magic or falling into the demons' hands are simply too high. As they say, power corrupts, and mages can do more harm in a greater scale than most men. However, the templars are just as bad as that, because their methods while dealing with mages are not the best to create a neutral ground either. Both sides give good and sound points but their methods are horribly implemented."

"As long as they don't stop us shouting something in the lines of 'Stop right there, evil abomination!' or 'By the Maker, blighted creature, I shall slay you!' I won't have a problem," Morrigan dryly stated and Neria couldn't help but let out another small laugh; Morrigan's sarcastic comments were really amusing, as long as they weren't directed at you. After calming herself, Neria saw Alistair's discomfort and had to shake her head with an amused smile. She wondered if by the end of the week she would have to dig two graves for those two.

"Well, enough talking about these depressing topics! I'm tired and I want to be off to my somewhat warm and comfortable bed. Let's get over this as quickly as possible," Neria proclaimed, making her way towards the summoning fount.

"But do you have the lyrium?" Leliana asked again, this time with a certain skeptical tone in her voice.

Neria grinned happily. "Yes, I do. A very nice summoning fount full to the brim with liquid lyrium, prepared only for this kind of rituals," She said as she peered at the lyrium slowly swirling inside the summoning fount.

"Honestly, I'm surprised there's still liquid lyrium in here, who knows how old this place is... Anyway, I just have to put the sufficient amount of magic to trigger a special tear in the Fade. These tears are only made by a summoning fount and you can't use them if you haven't been shown how to before. You need to set up a few runes very specific for these rituals. Luckily for us, I still have a piece of chalk. Step back a little, mind you? I need to draw the runes around the summoning fount."

The others complied quickly and soon, Neria was skipping around the magical device, drawing complex runes that soon intertwined between them, encircling the summoning fount, which lit up with a white light.

Alistair's hand flew to the pommel of his sword with a wary look, his templar training coming to him. "Is that normal?" he asked Neria, who nodded.

"Yes, it is. Anyway, this shouldn't take too long. In any moment, it will…" Her explanation was cut off by the sudden small dome of light that engulfed the fount for a few seconds. "Good. That means the ritual's been performed well and the fount is ready to send me to the Fade."

All of a sudden Alistair began to fidget in his place. "Shouldn't one of us come with you? There could be anything at the Fade," he argued with a soft voice while looking away for some reason though Neria didn't notice it. She thought over Alistair's words and after some meditation she just shook her head.

"I don't think that's wise. The only way you non-mages can enter the Fade is through your dreams unless you're tempted by some special demons like powerful Sloth or Pride demons in which case you're transported to the Fade while they can suck your life energy." Alistair flinched noticeably with that explanation and Leliana looked positively green. "Only mages can access the Fade through other means. So it would be best if I go alone," she finally decided.

"But why not take Morrigan with you? She's a mage like you," spoke Leliana and Neria shot a questioning look at said witch, who crossed her arms.

"I'd rather not set a foot on the Fade, thank you," she simply said and Neria nodded.

"There's your answer," she cheekily replied to Leliana. She then grabbed her staff and prepared for the final part of the ritual. "Everyone watch out. I'm going to trigger the fount. There might be a bit of magical backslash though…" she warned them.

"Wait, what?" cried out a dumbfounded Alistair.

"Well, you see, in this kind of rituals there's also the possibility of backlashes," she explained waving offhandedly a hand.

"I don't know why, but I have the sudden wish I was still a templar novice," Alistair muttered but Neria shrugged it off.

"Oh hush, you blond fool. You're childish whining is beginning to irritate me."

Neria called upon her magic before Morrigan and Alistair could get into another argument and the Witch of the Wilds noticed with interest eyes this time it was the normal type of magic Neria usually showed, which only confused her further. She wondered what could that possibly mean but she was determined to find out what was going on with Neria's magic.

"See you in a bit, guys!" Neria called out and with a final wave of her staff, she fainted, crumbling limply on the floor.

**xxOOOxx**

Neria awoke with a muffled grunt. She would have to sit down the next time she did a ritual like this one.

"Ugh, I think I hit my head _hard_," muttered while casting a minor healing spell that numbed the throbbing sensation in the back of her head.

She looked down and saw she still had the elven ancient armor on her. Her staff as well. Some of the mages that had gone to the Fade had stated that, sometimes, they would find themselves in nothing but their underwear. Now, _that_ would be embarrassing.

With a sigh, she steeled her resolve, looking around. She was in some sort of meadow and it looked very peaceful, with some trees far away from her and grass covering the soil. But the sky with a color between yellow and a grayish tone dimmed a bit the atmosphere.

Neria then began to walk cautiously. It was her second time in the Fade and though she was confident in her abilities, it would be foolish not to be careful. There could be demons around.

After several minutes of walking, she stopped abruptly with her jaw slightly dropped in surprise for in front of her was a cathedral. It had an old design, with several windows with glassware and several gargoyles with a threatening look… in the superior part of the façade, but there were also forms, twisted figures she didn't recognize that looked taken straight out from a nightmare. All in all, the cathedral gave her the creeps; more so in the Fade. It had an ominous aura around it that just didn't give good feelings.

Neria couldn't help but gulp at the image in front of her. "I guess whoever that guy is; he's inside this place. Well, better get going."

Neria approached the doors made of black wood with careful steps, checking her surroundings for possible threats. After gathering enough courage, Neria pushed aside the doors, which moved with the loud groan of a degreased door. The junior Grey Warden winced at the sound. _'There goes the chance to be stealthily.'_

The furniture in the room had the expected Fade-like appearance. It looked normal but something felt wrong in the banks of prayer, in the candlesticks… Neria shivered slightly. That's why she didn't like the Fade. It was a twisted version of the real world and it could look like very, very similar to the real thing but everything in the Fade gave off a feeling of wrongness…

The mage shook her head. It wouldn't do any good focusing in those thoughts. Neria saw a huge statue of a man in his mid forties with a sword pointing down, where there was something. She narrowed her eyes, trying to discern what it was to no avail. Shrugging, she approached to the statue and then she drowned a surprised gasp.

There, just below the sword, was the same blond man from before, trapped with the same chains. He was kneeled, with his head down, and there were two black pools in the floor around his wrists, which it was where they were being held by chains, anchored to the opposite walls. She briefly noticed the blond hair, almost brown in some places by dirt not washed.

"So… finally decided to pay me a visit, huh? Man, it took you long enough. When was the last time you paid me a visit? I was getting lonely here, you know. Playing Solitaire in your head can only get you so far."

Neria jumped from the surprise. The man… he could talk! Well, of course he could talk; he had vocal strings after all, but still… His voice sounded croaky and rough, as if he had difficult forming words or just talking. _'He must've been without talking for some time.' _He still had his head down, though.

"How strange… you are normally very vocal of your disappointment of me. You're very quiet. Perhaps you stopped listening to that bastard of your husband? I swear, he must have been bullied as a child."

Neria could notice the amusement in his voice but there was a bit of cynicism in it as well. She barely noticed how he twisted his mouth when he said disappointment due to his head being hung down. Suddenly, Neria didn't know what to say at all.

"You don't say anything… It's kind of irritating, you know. You left me here in this cathedral to rot, the least you could do is talk to me. Nice place, by the way, but I'm getting off track. What I wanted to say is… well, are you going to say something or what? Because it's kind of rude to stare at someone without saying anything when they are talking to you," he sounded annoyed but his voice had an edge of anger.

"Who are you?" she blurted out. Neria's question seemed to still everything in an expectant silence. Even the almost non-existent wind seemed to stop blowing, awaiting for the answer. The man's neck snapped loudly when he raised his head, observing her with narrowed eyes. Neria looked unflinchingly into his bright, expressive blue eyes.

"You… you are not… Well, you're not who I expected. Forgive me for ranting, then. Now, who are you?" the blond man asked, baffled. He seemed thrown off guard.

Neria quirked an eyebrow. "I asked first. It's impolite to make a question when you have one to answer."

The man blinked and then chuckled with amusement as if there was some kind of inside joke. "Who am I? Well, I have gained many names during my short life. I am many things, but not ones you would understand, I'm afraid."

"That's not an answer," Neria rebuked, crossing her arms trying the crush the nervousness growing in her.

"Really?" He seemed amused by her response with a raised eyebrow. Neria thought it had the same effect of an eye rolling for him. They looked at each other in the eyes, in a battle for dominance, trying to overcome the other. There was no clear victor. "Now, who are you?"

"Neria."

"You are Neria or your name is Neria?" was his sudden snippy reply with a smug smirk. The nerve of him! She had the sudden urge to slam his face to the ground with her staff.

"Is there a difference?" she asked raising an eyebrow, annoyance clear in her face and he chuckled again, greatly amused. He seemed to be enjoying their strange conversation.

"Well, there's a difference only if you wish for one to exist. Some names can shape what we are, after all. Who knows, it's always up to you… Now, why are you here?" he asked before she could say anything.

Neria shrugged. "We found the ruins where you are being held. We decided we'd investigate and then we found you," she explained and he adopted a bemused expression.

"Ruins?" muttered the man to himself. "Well… this can't be good."

"My turn. So… why are you here locked in the Fade?" Neria asked.

"Why, because someone put me here. Isn't that obvious?" he replied with a crooked smile. He really looked to be having a blast with this unexpected visit.

She huffed angrily. "Do you must be so irritatingly smartass?" he laughed at her response but began to cough violently almost immediately. Neria took pity of him tried to help him with a healing spell. He chuckled again when he stopped.

"Why, thank you, Neria," he said with a little smile.

"You could repay me by telling why you are here, you know," Neria hinted, hopeful.

"And that would be a good thing for you, wouldn't it, little elf. It would tell you the answers you seek but that would hardly play at my advantage," he countered back with a grin, making her turn a bright shade of red.

"That's not… I mean… I…!" she stammered and his grin became wider.

"Tell me something, Neria. Now that you are here, what do you intend to do?" he asked with honest curiosity.

"W-well, I guess the idea of freedom appeals to you. No one wants to be caged against one's will, after all," Neria said and he nodded slowly with an unreadable expression in his face while he stared at her.

"There is wisdom in your words, Neria, even if you do not realize it yet…" he mused.

"Er… thank you?" she asked a little confused. She couldn't help but think that the conversation was by far the most random she'd ever had.

"You're welcome. Now, where was I? Ah, yes… Freedom… I admit these chains are a bit uncomfortable and a pain in the ass. It has been so long since I saw the real world for the last time. I don't even remember in what Age we are…" he trailed off. An awkward silence fell upon them and Neria shifted uncomfortably.

"So… what do I have to do to free you?" Neria received a confused look with no big amount of suspicion.

"You'll free me, just like that?"

"Of course! What hidden motive would I have in this? I don't even know who are you," Neria reasoned.

"Really? Well, I'll definitely take any help I can get. The… ones who locked me here allowed me the keep my senses even while trapped here. Quite rude of them, mind you… Anyway, thanks to that I can sense two places where the power of these chains is being guarded. At least, I _think_ they are the power sources. Sadly, they are in opposite directions, though not that far from each other. You will have to destroy whatever there is in there. I don't know how they look like, what they are or even what you will have to do to destroy them as I haven't seen them but I think you'll recognize them when you see them," he explained. He then looked a bit guiltily at her. "I'm not going to be of much help, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about that. However, when we're out of here, you and I are going to have a long chat," warned Neria but he just shrugged it off.

"We'll see; don't expect me to answer everything. I don't have a habit of telling all my secrets to the first person that passes by and there are things I'd prefer to keep secret," he warned before grimacing a little when he tried to move a bit and the chains tightened their hold on him instead.

Neria nodded and gazed to the wood doors. "I guess it's only fair. Anyway, I should get going."

He grunted affirmatively. "Oh, don't worry. I've been here for so long that it doesn't matter an hour more or less."

"If it is not much to ask, could you at least tell me your name? Just to not always call you as 'you', 'blondie' or something like that, you know."

He chuckled at her words but nodded nonetheless. "I guess that's understandable, but I'll let you know that you're blond, too," he said, chuckling at her poor hidden snort. "Anyway, my name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki."

"You are Naruto or your name is Naruto?" was her smug response and this time he laughed more openly.

"That, my elven friend, is precisely the question. Now, don't you have some places to go? The power sources won't destroy by themselves, you know."

**xxOOOxx**

"Do you think she's alright?"

"For the fiftieth time, you imbecile, yes, I think so!" Morrigan's voice bellowed through the throne room-like cavern. It amazed Morrigan how the blond idiot could get on her nerves.

"But look at her! I mean, there are these moments when she puts these funny faces and twitches and…"

"Please, dear sister, if you don't step in this, Thedas _will_ be short of one more idiot," Morrigan said, gritting her teeth while her fingers twitched.. It'd been almost two weeks since the battle of Ostagar and she already regretted accepting Mother's idea of going with them if only because of Alistair's presence.

"I'm sure she's alright, Alistair. After all, she's an accomplished mage. Let's have faith in her."

Morrigan suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Leliana's words_. 'Yes let's, because faith will save her from possession if such situation arises.'_ Morrigan had to wonder if the only sane companions in the party were Neria and herself.

Instead of worrying for their leader -too much-, Morrigan decided to explore and investigate a bit the cavern. Firstly, she examined the engravings and could tell with security it was some sort of war, though that could mean any war in every past Age.

_'There's no darkspawn around so no Blight, then. Some of the figures are kneeled. War prisoners, perhaps? Slaves? Mmm, I guess I'll have to wait for our little mystery over there to awake. I'll go and see if there's anything we can use. Not rotten, that's it… Well, maybe that will be for Alistair.' _

With a devious smile, Morrigan took off to further explore the room, leaving Mr. Idiot and Princess Vision to watch over Neria's body. The young female apostate found several chests lying around but to her irritation, all of them had been forced open long ago as they had their locks broken. In a very forceful way, one would add. That only added more questions, whose answers Morrigan didn't know. Needless to say, that annoyed her. Morrigan saw an old panoply without armor on it. That didn't help, either. The next thing she recognized were bookshelves but any thirst for ancient knowledge was early crushed when all that remained in them were loads and loads of untouched dust.

Honestly, that place looked like it had been raided long ago_. 'I guess I shall have to wait for them to wake up. I'll finish checking all of the room, just in case. Perhaps I could turn into my spider form just to scare poor little Alistair. That'd be amusing.'_

**xxOOOxx**

Finally, Neria got out of the cathedral and took off towards what she believed to be north, thinking over the unexpected development of her situation. The implications of Naruto being held troubled her. Normally, when you lock someone up, it's for a very good reason. Neria just wondered if said man would be a great ally or a fearsome enemy.

_'We'll see how things play out. If he's a threat, I don't think he could take us all out. We'll have to watch him carefully, though. Until he proves himself trustful or not, that is.' _

But there was something off with their conversation and Neria couldn't quite place what it was. Reviewing the entire conversation, she finally understood the reason and she was understandably shocked. He hadn't bad mouthed her or just called her names like 'knife-ear' or the likes…

Even in the Tower there were some racist apprentices that looked down on the elven mages with biased opinions and 'holier-than-thou' attitudes. Neria took great pleasure in crushing and defeating them in the different exams and mock spars they had to compete in. She had intellectually known that not everybody was like that but to see it for herself was… nice. A surprising but welcome trait of her companions was that they actually didn't look down at her for being an elf. Neria felt her lips twitch upwards in a little smile.

_'Perhaps freeing him won't be that troublesome…'_

With those thoughts, Neria headed towards the closer power source she could feel. Now she was grateful for that certain sixth sense of hers that could feel magical presences or just magic being used nearby in the Fade. It would make her new mission less troublesome. Of course, she knew there would be problems with this whole business. It wasn't like she was being just pessimistic; it's just that she knew it would happen. Since the day she'd become a Grey Warden, that had been turning into the norm. The real question was if the ups would be enough to overlook the downs. First, though, she had to free him.

_'Good thing there are lyrium veins around. That way, I'll be able to recharge my magic instantly._'

While walking, she took a good look at her surroundings and couldn't help but shiver. They seemed almost real… almost. Just as before, the landscape had the scent of the Fade and it oozed an unreal sensation, clearly characteristic of the Fade, just like in the cathedral. The woods and bushes she passed by looked real, that much she knew. Or at least, her senses told her they were real.

After a few minutes of walking she could see finally a small temple-looking structure in the distance. Approaching cautiously, she stared at the building, composed of several artistically crafted columns disposed in a circular pattern that surrounded the statue of a man, a warrior. He was quite muscled and in the right hand he carried a beautifully crafted sword, while in the left there was a menacing-looking war-axe. Even if it was a statue, the figure had a regal, distinguished air with a calm look in his face. Incrusted on his chest, there was a blood-like looking red gem that shone particularly bright.

'_This gem must be the power source… Better destroy it quick.' _

Gathering quickly her magic, Neria prepared a lightning spell to destroy the statue into tiny pieces when a sudden roar made itself heard in the area. Resisting the urge to curse under her breath, Neria looked around for the roar's source until she saw a pair of arms appear from the ground and propel the body of the demon upwards. The lava-like body told Neria the type of demon she was facing, a Rage demon. It smirked with a twisted smile and chuckled evilly, sending a cold shiver down Neria's back. And to thing they were _supposedly_ the first children of the Maker. Although, she really wasn't one to talk, being somewhat of an skeptic on matters of faith, after all.

**"My, my, what's this? A little lost kitten, wandering around where bad things could happen to her… How sad, let me help you, poor human. You'll be my new host and I'll explore the outside world through you!"** The demon roared and charged recklessly at her. Honestly, Neria thought for a second that the demon might be in heat.

However, when the gravity of the situation fully sunk in, Neria froze in the spot for a moment,. She knew that in the future they might encounter demons in their travels but she didn't expect –or wanted- it to happen so soon! Spirits, her Harrowing hadn't even been two months ago! Yet they had already faced more demons in a single trip to a measly forest than in all her life inside the Tower. Next time she saw Irving, he was _so_ getting an Arcane Bolt.

However, irritation gave way to anger. How dared that… that thing to claim this body, _her _body, as its property! It was _her_ body; no _one_ had a claim on it and she would be damned if she let a simple demon take over her.

Remembering the teachings form the Tower, she crushed her anger, the frustration and the slight fear and locked them up. They would not help in battle if she didn't know how to control them properly to power up her spells. Drawing out her staff, he quickly casted a **Cone of Ice** on the demon, which froze in its place. She then used a **Shock** to inflict lightning damage and then she sent three Arcane Bolts in quick succession to weaken the demon. She was going to finish it off when the Rage demon melted the ice with its body.

_'Damn, I should've taken into account the lava from its body!' _

**"Stay still, you annoying human. I can't possess you if you keep moving!"** the demon yelled and Neria snorted disbelievingly. Did it really think she would hand over her own body just like that? Yeah, right, try again.

The young woman dodged the swipe from its clawed hand and hit the body with her staff. The demon cried out in pain and held the place where she had hit it.

**"Damn you, human! I'll take great pleasure using and degrading your body as physically as possible!"** the evil being threatened and Neria couldn't help but roll her eyes. Its threats, while serious, sounded just… sad coming from its mouth.

"Oh, just shut up and die already." And with that she sent another **Cone of Ice**, freezing satisfactorily the demon and deciding to finish the battle, she used a **Stonefist**, shattering the ice sculpture into a myriad of particles.

"Do all demons are like 'Roar, I'll posses your body!'? How annoying… Well, anyway, time to destroy the gem." Cracking her fingers, she unleashed a powerful **Shock** that slammed into the gem, charging it with electricity until the gem exploded and destroyed the statue of the warrior, which fell to the ground. "Alright, first power source destroyed! Now, time for the second one. "

Not wanting to waste more time, the tiny elf left the area, planning to check on Naruto before moving onto the other power source.

**xxOOOxx**

Mere minutes later, she stood once again in front of the gothic cathedral and quickly made her way to Naruto, who was still kneeled. He looked up at her with amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Oh, back already? Have you destroyed one of the power sources?"

Neria nodded. "Yes, I've destroyed one of them," she stated but Naruto merely raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Because I don't know about you, but I can clearly see my wrists still trapped by these…" he started but then, the shackle that held his right wrist fell to the floor with a loud metallic clang and they both stared at it. Naruto then looked at Neria and somehow, managed to look sheepish and serious at the same time. "Ahem, never mind that… Anyway, you still have one more to go. Come one; I don't want to spend more time than necessary here now that there's the possibility of freedom."

"Wait, shouldn't you be able to free yourself, now that you're only held by one shackle?" Neria asked confused.

Naruto shook his head. "Normally, that'd be the case but these aren't normal shackles. The… people who put me here linked these shackles to the power sources; I can't open them with brute force. Trust me, I tried countless times before," he explained and then he looked down. "Kept me awake all the time, those bastards… they were pretty vicious about it," he muttered to himself though Neria caught it with her refined hearing and wondered again what kind of person Naruto really was. However, she decided against probing in personal matters. He would open up, eventually.

"Well, since we can't simply destroy the shackle, I take that means I have to destroy the other source, right?" Neria wanted to make sure and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, right on the spot. You better get going soon. Honestly, I can't wait to be out of here."

"There's something that keeps worrying me though…" Neria started.

"Yeah? Shoot," Naruto encouraged her.

"Well, it just seems strange. The power source I just destroyed was poorly guarded. I mean, there was only one demon. One! And a dumb one at that… but that's not the point. Why would someone put so poor failsafes and wards to keep someone from getting out? Hell, the only thing stopping you are these shackles! Anyone from outside with a bit of power could free you and the point of imprisoning someone is the contrary, isn't it? Who were the people who put you here, Naruto? Why did they trap you in the Fade?" Neria demanded to know..

However, Naruto didn't budge but looked at her with something akin to grudging respect but his gaze got a steely look in a matter of seconds. "I don't have a reason to tell you. Those are very personal matters and when I say very personal, I mean it. You don't go around telling other about your life, now do you?" Naruto retorted.

Neria flushed red in anger and embarrassment. "Why, you…" she started but Naruto cut her off.

"Now is not the time. Don't give me that glare, you know I'm right. Besides, it's not like I know the answers to your questions. If I knew, I would only divulge them with you if it affected you in any way. Let's get over this already. Go to the location of the other power source and destroy it. That way I'll be finally free," Naruto said and Neria narrowed her eyes.

"I don't really like your tone, Naruto," The mage elf commented with a hard edge in her voice.

"And what you're gonna do? Leave me here, trapped here for who knows how long?" he asked with a confident smirk but Neria noticed a little wavering in his tone.

"You know, I might do that," she suddenly said but he just snorted.

"Yeah right, keep yourself telling that," he shrugged or tried to, all the time with a small annoying smile.

"How do you know I won't walk away and leave you, anyway?" she asked and his smirk widened a little more.

"I don't, but I know something. You really don't have what it takes. I've seen many like you before. Wet behind the ears and as naïve as a child. You won't leave me, your conscience wouldn't allow it and neither would your morals, too," Naruto told her with a nasty smile. It looked ugly on his face and just seemed wrong on it.

Neria didn't say anything more and just turned to leave, walking away as she felt Naruto's eyes boring into her.

Neria, while setting off to destroy the other source, wondered again if it was wise to release him but after a moment of consideration she shrugged. Now that she was there, she would free him and watch how things evolved.

Neria used her enhanced senses to pinpoint the exact location of the source and began to walk towards it. Soon enough she reached the place and Neria had to raise an eyebrow at the sight before her. It seemed that the source was placed inside a mansion, which stood at the top of a cliff, very near the edge. But what made Neria gulp was the fact that beyond the cliff there was nothing, only darkness.

"Well… I guess it'd be unhealthy to fall off the edge…" she muttered nervously.

Without much more thought about it, she entered in the house through the main door and just stood there.

"Well, let's see… dusty curtains, check. A table filled with food while the cutlery is rotten, check. Blood stains on the walls, check. Disemboweled corpses… why, of course, it adds a nice atmosphere to the house, doesn't it?" Neria whispered frantically. "Oh, and let's not forget the usual whole 'chairs move by themselves' thing that is a must in these cases! All in all, a very nice mansion with nothing strange going on inside," she commented sarcastically as the chairs started moving. The tiny elf then sighed despairingly.

"Why all the crazy things seem to happen only to me?"

Sighing again, our favorite blonde mage headed to the nearer door and opened it, stepping inside the room. Neria looked around with mild interest but was soon disappointed at the room's lack of decoration. There was, however, a simple altar with a chest on it.

Approaching the only piece of furniture in the room, Neria could distinguish the excellent crafting of the chest. Of course, she knew it was just a projection of the Fade but still, Neria couldn't help but admire the beauty of it. Neria noticed next to the chest there was a small note. With her curiosity piqued, Neria grabbed the piece of paper and raised it so she could read whatever there was written on it.

_The Trial of Strength_

_Evil unbound, turned flesh and blood_

_Primal fear surrounds your very existence_

_The sword pierces the dead and cold flood_

_That which betrays your trust is what you seek for assistance_

Neria raised an eyebrow at that and muttered, "A riddle? How quaint…"

Instantly on guard, Neria opened the chest to find a beautifully crafted longsword. Neria eyed the sword critically, wondering if she should pick it up or let the sword where it was. After a moment of pondering, she decided that if she could grab it, it would be of some to her. As she picked up the sword, several parts of the walls slid aside to reveal dozens of rotten corpses moaning for fresh blood. Neria looked at them with disgust, a slight twinge of fear pooling in her heart.

_'Note to self: Do NOT grab unknown weapons or other things in a hostile environment.'_ Neria thought while backing away from the incoming corpses. The smell was really disgusting.

Deciding that it would be better to stay where she was and hold her ground than defend herself with a wall protecting her back, she stayed where she stood. Fighting with a wall behind her would only hinder her movements.

The first corpse finally reached her, sending a sloppy punch at her but she swiftly dodged it and aimed her staff at its head, blowing it off with an Arcane Bolt which blasted the corpse away. She then used her newly acquired sword to slice the arm of another corpse off before stabbing it at the heart. As the dismembered corpse fell to the ground, two undead bodies awkwardly rushed at her at the same time. Reacting quickly, Neria casted a **Stonefist** directed at the corpse on her left while using the sword to cut the other corpse's hand.

Another corpse took advantage of her distracted state by those two corpses and swiped at her right shoulder, making Neria wince at the pain. However, she retaliated immediately and froze before ducking under the punch of another undead. She fended it off her with a kick and destroyed the ugly sculpture of ice that was the other corpse with a heavy blow.

However, she made a big mistake by leaving her back unguarded again. Another rotting body used this to its advantage to land a hit on her back, making her stumble a few steps. Only her reflexes saved her from getting punched right on her nose. Gritting her teeth she turned around in a quick move and without thinking, she used the sword to sent a sloppy slash at the corpse that tried to punch her on its chest, all the while spinning a little to attack the one who had hit her on the back. The slash was quite easy to dodge but a zombie had no higher brain functions than going straight for the flesh, so it wasn't surprising that it didn't even made a motion to evade the attack.

Disposing of the first corpse, she gave one of her own punches to the other without thinking, landing the punch on its jaw and hearing a pleasurable sound of cracking bone and tearing tissue. However, what baffled her to no end was that she almost sent the corpse flying to the wall. Well, it didn't really reach the wall but a flight of few meters was a good mark for a simple punch nevertheless… and totally impossible by normal means as well. She didn't know what to think about that, though. Was it from her new knowledge about the Arcane Warriors' lost art? Neria suddenly lit up with a grin that went from ear to ear. If it was, she couldn't wait to train and unlock more traits of that specific branch of magic. However, as a mage, it was easy to see that there was no finesse in her attacks, they were more fitting of a brawler than a proper hand to hand fighter, but they were at least enough to deal with the zombies.

But the situation of her current predicament was brought again to her when a fist found its way to her face. _'Ouch, that hurt…' _Scowling, she managed to slice the corpse's head off, making the body crumble over the floor. She then raised the hand she used to punch that corpse -it was messy with blackened blood and had bits of rotten flesh all over. Neria almost gagged and she felt close to throwing up right there but managed to get a hold of herself. She shook her hand almost hysterically to get rid of the rotten flesh and the blood even though such things had become alarmingly common in her new life as Grey Warden.

She tiredly raised her sword again and charged at another possessed corpse who was getting closer. Neria lined the weapon and pierced the flesh, going through the chest and embedding itself deep in it.

Neria growled, trying to regain the hold of her weapon but the sword was embedded deep so she had to use her foot as leverage to recover it but not before using the body as a shield to block some kicks sent at her direction. "Damn, the books in the Tower made this sound so easy!"

'_Thankfully, zombies are pretty simple-minded. Were they normal thugs, I would have already been killed.'_

With the sword finally retrieved, Neria turned around to face three corpses that had gotten too close to her liking. Calling upon her magical powers, she casted three **Arcane** **Bolts** in quick succession and sent them right towards their chests, blasting the corpses away several meters thanks to the insanely overpowered spell.

Neria breathed deeply, wondering for a moment if that hadn't been a bit of overkill but she shook her head. The faster she got rid of them, the better for her health.

Unfortunately for her, another corpse slipped through her stance and kicked her side, making her cringe in pain. They could be simple-minded but damn if they didn't kick hard!

However, she repaid the favor with two arms sliced off and a kick to the chest as payback, throwing the body to the floor. There, she stabbed the dead body at its forehead, crushing effectively the skull after blasting away two other corpses with a **Stonefist**, catching them by surprise. Neria grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out of the corpse's forehead with a sickly popping sound. Neria allowed herself a brief look at the room, the flow of dead soldiers seemed unstoppable and the floor was already covered in almost all its extensity in blood.

Taking a deep breath, Neria used the little break to change tactics. Switching weapons, Neria used her left hand to handle the sword, holding her staff with her right hand.

Neria smirked, knowing fully that what she was doing to do could probably gain her straight pass to the nearest madhouse but she carelessly shrugged those thoughts and charged forward, letting out a battle cry as her blood pumped furiously in her veins. Neria jumped in front of a corpse and slammed the staff hard on its side, using the sword to finish it off.

Neria allowed herself a small grin to congratulate herself on her continued survival. Unfortunately, she was caught off guard when one of them tackled her to the ground, pinning her down.

"Agh!" the little mage yelled in surprise, but a pair of viscous hands encircled her throat and began to put pressure on it, depriving her of air supply. Neria struggled to free herself from the corpse's hands as she weakly punched it on the chest but to no avail. Had she been at full strength, perhaps she'd have been able to send it flying, but as weakened as she was, that would not happen. In no time, Neria's vision started to get blurry and black spots started to appear. She frantically trashed around, choking for air, in hopes to get rid of the possessed corpse, but it had a strong grip on her throat and as the seconds passed, so did her hysterical trashing.

_'Is this how I die? Have all my struggles been for nothing? … No… NO! I won't die here! I will not die!'_ Neria thought with desperate denial.

"I will not die!" the blond mage managed to let out a yell. It was muffled but the cry served its purpose as she regained her will to fight. Thanks to that she was able to blast away the corpse strangling her with a pure beam of magic, destroying it into minuscule bits. She quickly retreated, gasping for breath.

"Damn… that was close…" she muttered while coughing, "This really… doesn't look good…"

Neria pressed forward once again, trying to ignore the tired numbness of her limbs as best as she could. She snuck up on another zombie and using her staff she broke its neck while pressing her hand on its head, using a certain spell Morrigan had taught her. Even if it was disgusting to use on zombies, Neria couldn't deny the usefulness of the spell, even if it was _extremely_ gory. Having casted the spell on the zombie, she kicked him away towards a group of five corpses that were running at her and Neria smiled grimly, quickly backing away from what was going to happen.

_'And… boom!' _

The corpse she had kicked away exploded in the middle of the group of five in a shower of flesh and blood. Neria's grim smile turned into a full grimace. She couldn't help but feel disgusted at how the battle was going. She had expected it would be bloody, but not _so _bloody.

Using a fire spell, she charred three more unsuspecting corpses that started running and trashing around wildly while setting up on fire more and more corpses. Soon, the nauseating smell of charred flesh could be clearly smelled in the room. .

Neria was going to cast another spell when her knees suddenly buckled for a second and nearly slipped. Having to cast so many spells in such short amount of time along while brandishing a sword and moving nonstop was taking a heavy toll on her; considering she was already running on her second wind, the situation looked very grim. Dodging several attacks sent at her as best as she could, she grabbed a lyrium potion from her pouch attached to her waist and downed its content, feeling her magical drain disappear almost immediately.

Without wasting time, Neria jumped at another zombie and beheaded it with a swift move, all the while avoiding several nasty punches and kicks. Neria used a **Stonefist** to dispose of a zombie which got too close and used the beheaded corpse to trip three more corpses on their way to her.

The lyrium potion had restored her magical reserves but it hardly did anything else apart from it and she was already quite tired, Neria had to use all her willpower to not let loose a torrent of curses in her situation. In hindsight, wearing armor had been a stupid mistake. The armor was heavy and until she learnt how to reduce its weight with her Arcane Warrior's abilities, it'd only hinder her movements, which as a mage were based in agility and flexibility and not in strength and resistance.

Neria admitted she was not a fighter in the usual sense but she outright refused to stay still in a battle like the majority of mages would. Neria was a mage but even she knew the stupidity of doing such a thing unless you wished for quick death. It was just common sense! Of course, she was sure the most powerful spells would be impossible to cast while moving but normally, they were the ones with the wide range of effect. Nonetheless, she would have to train herself to get used to the weight and regain her flexibility. But she was getting off track…

The fight had been going for more than ten minutes and Neria was already close to fainting. All her previous fights had been less long that this one by far and she had had the others backing her up but now she was alone and she would run out of lyrium potions at some point. The number of corpses didn't seem to diminish and let's not forget the many bruises she got from their constant attacks.

_'Damn, there has to be something I can do, there must be some way! I'm supposed to be Irving's Golden apprentice!' _Looking around, Neria only saw the four walls and the altar with the chest and the note."Nothing useful…"

Another punch avoided and Neria slashed at the undead. She then used a **Cone of Ice** to freeze two zombies that were behind her and kicked another dead body away.

_'There is only the chest. And that's already empty! I'm using the sword right now to save my neck!' _

Neria destroyed the frozen corpses into tiny bits with the pommel of the sword and sent an already weak **Shock** at another group of corpses running towards her with a death wish. Despite the seriousness of her predicament, Neria couldn't help but roll her eyes. Seriously, what was with the typical 'run at the enemy and be butchered when too close to the enemy' zombie tactic? Well, Neria guessed it could be because the demons possessing the bodies were dumb. Only the most basic of demons didn't know how to differentiate dead from living.

_'Damn it, I don't see the catch! There must be! Think: the walls, the chest, the no… oh, oh… _

"You stupid girl! How could I not see it?! The note!"Neria berated herself.

Neria ran to the chest and started looking for the note but had to dodge another punch sent to her from behind and used her staff to crush the poor corpse's head, sending it to the ground.

"The note, where's the damn not… Aha!" Shouting in triumph, Neria quickly grabbed the note and retreated quickly as many zombies were converging around her.

"Okay, let's see…" muttered Neria while sloppily dodging another attack, "The only line that could be useful to fix this mess must be the last… Okay, who or what is betraying my trust?" Neria pondered but had to stop her musings when another zombie attacked her. "Damn, don't these zombies learn the lesson?" asked Neria in irritation.

Quickly disposing of it and another one that got on the way, Neria kept killing… well, it'd be better say terminating the possessed bodies as they hadn't a live per se. Neria cut off a hand –which missed three fingers, she briefly noticed- from the dead guy who tried to grab her arm and stabbed it in the gut.

"Eat this! I have to say, this sword is certainly useful. Without it, I would have died a long… time ago…" she trailed off at the end when a sudden revelation hit her. "That's it!" shouted a gleeful Neria. "I understand now, it's the sword! The sword that I was relying on to kill you all! Somehow, it's the cause of your appearance!" Neria deduced.

Not even thinking about it, she quickly threw the sword to a wall and everything seemed to freeze as the sword flew towards the wall, like in slow motion. For a few dreadful moments, Neria was assaulted by the horrible thought that perhaps she had been mistaken on her deduction as after what seemed hours to Neria, the sword finally crashed against the wall, shattering into a myriad of pieces like glass.

Neria looked at the corpses, which had all turned to stare with soulless eyes at the spot where the sword -now, in dozens of pieces- had crushed against. Slowly, ever so slowly, a corpse fell to the ground. Then, another and after that, two more. And within seconds, all of them were falling to the ground in crumpled heaps.

Neria stared at them and after a full minute, she just let herself fall, landing on her rear."That was actually rather anticlimactic…Ugh, I need a minute of rest. And a warm bed."

* * *

><p>And that's it, folks! I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me hear your thoughts.<p> 


	5. Free Again

**Disclaimer:** I do not own DA:O nor Naruto, as they belong to Bioware and Kishimoto respectively, as sad as that is.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**Free Again**

Neria tiredly sighed as she lay on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She sure wasn't looking forward the soreness of her limbs in the next day, even if she was currently in the Fade. Around her, all the corpses littered the ground, now free of the demons' possession.

Neria sighed again; she seemed to do that a lot lately. Grunting with effort, she got up to her feet and rubbed her arms, trying to soothe the numbness in them. It seemed that she would have to train purposefully the strengths of the Arcane Warrior abilities inside herself and not use them instinctively.

Damn, how badly she wanted to be in her simple, yet comfortable tent right now. She could use the camp's fire, too… but first she had to liberate Naruto from his chains. Naruto… such an enigma in itself, he sure sounded like he had many secrets. If only she could get him to talk…

Neria shook her head, reprimanding herself. It was not the time for daydreaming with other's past lives. She could not go around firing questions at people about their lives!

"Well, let's get this over with. I'm just dropping dead," muttered Neria, heading towards the door.

Stepping inside, she was mildly surprised to see it was as empty as the previous one. The only remarkable thing in the room was a small circle of blue light, humming lightly. An arm made of stone was placed inside the circle, with a note resting on its arched hand. Groaning, Neria stepped in the circle and grabbed the note. She knew what was going to happen.

"_Thou shall beware thy own strength, for it might betray the owner. Swords clash as one faces oneself. Prove thy worth to thyself and thou shall pass the trial_.._. _Well, whoever put this note; they had a lovely sense of solemnity. What's next, then? Do I must face more werewolves? Headless chickens running around? Rabid white rabbits?" Neria joked but as if on cue, the arm sunk to the ground and disappeared.

Before she could get out of the blue circle, it suddenly shone brightly and blinded Neria for a moment, unable to react quickly enough since she wasn't expecting it.

Blinking hard in order to get rid of the spots in her vision, she scanned the room to make sure there hadn't been any changes until the blonde elf saw a tiny figure staring at her. The sudden apparition was, obviously, not human. That much Neria could tell thanks to the bluish aura that surrounded the figure. It looked quite like a spectral apparition. Neria narrowed her eyes, trying to distinguish the ethereal apparition's features; they were hard to distinguish but when she managed to, she couldn't help but groan loudly.

She would recognize _that _face anywhere. It was hers, after all.

Without waiting for her, Neria's counterpart drew an ethereal blade and leapt at her, swinging it clumsily, which didn't go unnoticed by the real Neria. Not wanting to be a beheaded corpse, Neria avoided the blow and attempted to slam her staff at the other's side, but it jumped backwards, avoiding the attack.

Immediately, the two started to stalk the other, neither showing any openings, neither giving any weakness. It was a deadly dance and the first to give in would determine who was the hunter… and who was the prey.

However, inwardly Neria wasn't so sure about her chances. The previous fight had taken its toll on her, and taking into account that she hadn't been able to get some serious rest from the fights in the ruins, her stamina and mana was at dangerously low levels.

The fight would have to be a quick one.

Neria's counterpart took the initiative once again and jumped at her with her blade readied for a diagonal slash. The specter swung at her, trying to pin her down, but she sidestepped the attack as best as she could with her fatigue, allowing the specter to stumble forward. Unfortunately, the bluish apparition regained its footing sooner than she'd expected and slashed at her from behind, aiming at her spinal cord. Neria managed to avoid getting run through but not before the spectral sword pierced shallowly her arm, drawing first blood.

Neria winced a little. The stinging sensation would be another handicap. Just peachy. As if fighting yourself wasn't enough…

The battle took an impasse as both combatants distanced from each other. The real Neria was already panting noticeably and her knees trembled a little from exhaustion. She suppressed a pained groan as the aching sensation returned to her arms, numb from all the physical exertion. The mages from the Circle didn't made extenuating exercise like all warriors did and she was at the point of fainting. Only the permanent boost that she'd gained from acquiring the Arcane Warrior's arts kept her going on. It certainly wasn't a pleasant feeling for Neria. _'Naruto better be worth all this fuss'_, she thought with a grim face.

Neria sent a weak **Stonefist** at her summoned counterpart and tried to whack its head but the spirit avoided to attack pretty easily. Seriously, it was almost making her look like a fool! And she never liked to be portrayed as one! However, Neria knew that her options were pretty much slim.

She was tired from all the fighting, unlike the spirit. She just wanted to sit down, rub her sore feet and take a healthy, full-eight or nine hours of sleep. A shame the bed would be a tattered and thin mattress. Oh, well, it'd have to…

Swoosh!

Ops, she really had to keep track of the real world…

Luckily, Neria avoided being cut across the face at the last moment, losing only some locks of hair. The spirit rushed at her with the unhealthy obsession of running its sword through her and that wouldn't do at all. Neria waved her staff in front of her and cast a freezing charm on the floor. The spirit didn't have time to react and it skated clumsily, trying to maintain equilibrium. Unfortunately for her, Neria was there waiting for her and she gleefully used her staff as a bat trying to crush the spirits' face.

Damn, that just felt good!

Sadly, it just served to disorientate only slightly the spirit, which swayed for a couple of times, something Neria tried to use to her favor, but it soon regained its footing, making Neria curse under her breath. There had to be something that she could do to blast that fake imitation of her off its feet!

Racking her brain for a solution, Neria kept avoiding the spirits' slashes and hacking, but her own movements were getting sloppier each second and Neria knew that it wouldn't be long until her focus slipped. Thankfully, a solution came to her just in that moment. It was probably a clichéd idea and she had to be even crazy to think about it, but First Enchanter Irving often said she was as likely to get an idea that of a genius as to get a suicidal one… He didn't look too healthy whenever he said that, though. Those shades of green clearly weren't healthy.

But… it was so crazy it just could work. Neria grinned at her spiritual manifestation, although she was scared shitless in the inside…

It was not every day you get rammed by a sword willingly!

Neria gulped.

The spirit leapt at her once again, its sword glinting dangerously, while Neria stood unmoving from her spot. For Neria, those seconds produced an estrange effect. Time seemed to stretch itself but it actually was only a mere second. She intellectually knew that her body responded to the situation, pumping adrenaline through her veins as a mean to avoid getting butchered in half, but even so, Neria did not move from her spot.

After what seemed an eternity, the spiritual blade tore through Neria's skin, embedding itself deep in her lithe body. The elf mage gasped in pain, pain like nothing she'd ever experienced before. She had received some injures before but it only was some bruises or shallow cuts, nothing serious like this. However, Neria just feel numb and realized detachedly that the pain hadn't still set in. Coughing some blood, Neria only smirked as she stared at her alter ego.

"I've got you now," she muttered and grabbing the pommel of its sword, she released a huge high voltage current on her counterpart. The spirit's body shook violently as the electricity racked its body, its mouth wide open in a silent scream. However, Neria also received some of the pain because of the sword lodged in her gut, something that she hadn't accounted for but she still was far from finished. Gritting her teeth in pain, Neria managed to cast upon her enemy an ice spell as soon as the lighting one finished its work, encompassing its arms in ice and then shattering them with a punch, using her new strength.

The mage grinned with bloodied lips as her counterpart staggered visibly.

"He, not so though anymore now, are we?" she mocked, though it still reeled her mind that she was mocking herself, in a bizarre way. Summoning the last bit of strength left in her body, Neria willed her magical prowess to come to her. Shaping it, Neria sent the magic, now a deadly-looking fist of hardened stone, at her enemy. The spell blasted the two apart and slammed the ghost against a wall while Neria managed to stay on her feet, if only barely.

The fade apparition staggered clumsily a few more steps before falling backwards, dispersing in little particles of light as it did so.

Neria stared for a moment until she groaned, relieved. "_Finally!_ I can't believe I almost got my ass handed to me by my own reflection…" Idly, Neria mused about the interesting expressions one picked when in an army of rowdy men and women. And to think that not a month and half or so ago she was just a novice mage who hadn't stepped out of the Tower for years…

However, her musings were cut short as the wound in her stomach let its presence known. Everything hurt and Neria screamed in pain, feeling like she'd been set alight. For someone who'd lived a secluded live in a place of learning, nothing could compare to this pain but thankfully, she was still able to use a healing spell. Creation magic was certainly not her forte but she managed to close the nasty wound.

However, as bruised as she was, she had been the one left standing. Victory was hers. Not that she would ever let anyone know of her less than stellar victory over her own shade, of course.

Walking this time with slow and careful steps, she made her way towards the beautifully engraved door that had suddenly appeared in one of the walls.

"Ugh, I _hate _magical tests like these." However, that didn't mean she couldn't take some form of vindictive retribution for it.

Therefore, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when she kicked the door out of its hinges with an Arcane Warrior power-enhanced foot. Staring at her own foot, she giggled excitedly. "I think I'm going to do this to _every_ door I come across."

Sadly, she hadn't thought about the repercussions. "Aagh! The wound! The wound!"

Some minutes and a handful of creative curses, she approached the other power source. Neria charged another Stone Fist spell to destroy it.

The only thing she wanted to do was to enjoy a full day of sleep.

**xxOOOxx**

Naruto had assumed a long time ago that he'd rot here in the Fade for all eternity, neither alive nor dead. He was just being realistic, what were the odds that someone would ever find him and go through all the trouble of freeing him? Therefore, it did come as a surprise when someone managed to reach him after what seemed like a reaaally long nap -his sense of time got funny over time, after all-. It had been so long that he'd subconsciously lost any hope of being freed from his prison so it came as a shocking but not unwelcome surprise when the elf.. Neria entered his cathedral, his prison.

Naruto honestly didn't know how to feel about being free again after so long. It felt… unsettling, but hell would freeze over before he allowed such opportunity to pass by without taking it. He had to admit, he was eager to see how much Thedas had changed.

So Naruto couldn't suppress an unbelieving, anticipating laugh when the remaining shackle buckled and fell to the ground. Without momentum, he let his body fall to the ground staring slightly shocked at the ceiling, but it wasn't long until he grinned from ear to ear. After all this time, he was free again. Free to roam Thedas! _Free_ to feel the air through his hair, _free_ to enjoy the water on his skin!

Even when his vision started to fade out, his grin didn't left his face, not even for a moment.

'_Watch out, Thedas. I'm back!'_

**xxOOOxx**

Outside the Fade, the remaining party had been waiting close to an hour for Neria to finish getting the guy out and they were already getting restless, even Leliana, who normally was the most patient of them all.

"This is getting us nowhere! Someone should go in there and make sure nothing has happened to Neria," stated Alistair as he looked over Neria, whose prone body had been placed leaning against a wall.

"Are you, perhaps, implying I enter the Fade when I have made clear I do not wish to set a foot upon that wretched realm?" Morrigan venomously asked, her dislike for the blond man clear in her voice.

"Well, you're the only one who can consciously travel to the Fade. It's obvious it's you who should go," he retorted while crossing his arms over his breastplate.

"And you managed to deduce that alone? 'Tis truly a marvelous development," the Witch of the Wilds dramatically raised her arms in a mocking gesture.

Meanwhile, Leliana just sat there next to Neria, watching as the young warrior and the Witch kept bickering. With a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose while she listened halfheartedly to their arguing as it grew more and more ridiculous as time passed. She wondered if this was some sort of divine punishment from the Maker for all her past sins prior to her joining the Chantry in Lothering, because if it was so, He couldn't have chosen better.

The redhead woman sighed, wondering just how long would she be able to hold onto her sanity if this became a daily occurrence; something that she feared was already on its way to become a reality, instead of a feared nightmare. She was barely able to suppress a groan as an especially sharp comment about a dog's breath and Alistair's sexuality in the same sentence reached her ears.

'_Dear Maker, I'll never skip over any Canticles, nor will I conveniently forget about Threnodies 5 in my psalms. Just, please, make it stop… I beg you,' _she desperately chanted in her head over and over, waiting for a miracle to happen. _'Is this the people who are supposed to stop the Blight? I fear for our survival…'_

However, what happened next made Leliana believe that the Maker really existed, really listened to her, just as He had sent her the vision. It made Leliana truly believe in miracles.

Neria had woken up.

She did so with a groan, thus ending Morrigan and Alistair's insufferable bickering. _'Thank you, Maker!'_

"Nasty headache, I hate them…" she grumbled before getting to her feet. The other three quickly surrounded her, checking on her.

"Neria, we were getting worried. How did it go?" wanted to know Leliana, who Neria used to support herself.

"Well, I think it went well. I managed to get Naruto –that's his name, by the way- out of the Fade. It wasn't easy but I did it. It should be safe to approach him now."

True to her words, the bluish force field that previously prevented them from reaching the mysterious man was now gone and they could see the chains that wrapped him starting to corrode quite fast. Soon enough, they were only piles of black dust on the floor and Naruto's body slid easily from the malicious-looking throne, falling bonelessly to the ground. It was obvious he was unconscious for the time being.

The groups of travelers converged around him, examining him. Now that they were much closer, they could really take on his features a lot easier than before. His blonde hair was pretty spiked; growing in an untamable mop of hair and his skin had a healthy looking tan.

"So, you say his name was Naruto?" Morrigan inquired, to which Neria nodded.

"Yes. That's the name he used to introduce himself, in any case. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Strange, though. I wonder the reason for his appearance. Who knows how much has he been inside the Fade, but he should be sickly pale and, not sporting this tan; moreover, his muscles should be atrophied beyond repair. Obviously, somebody forgot to point that out to his body," she mused as she examined him. "Although those birth marks on his cheeks are rather curious. Are they whiskers?"

"Yes, well, hold on your eager examinations until we get back to camp, please. My body feels like lead and I want to get some sleep," Neria grunted. It had been a very long day and the more time they passed in the forest, the less time she would spend on her bed.

"We still have to inform the Dalish of what happened in the ruins, though," Alistair reminded her and their leader let out a long, suffering groan as her mental vision of a nice pillow and some blanket sprouted wings and flew off at the speed of light.

"Whatever, I suppose we could stay the night in their camp. We set up our own camp near theirs, so we can still tell Sten about it and get him. The sooner we get this whole business finished, the better. Alistair, grab Naruto and follow us."

"Hey, why do I have to be the one carrying him?" he complained with a pout.

"I'm tired and you're the one who has more muscle strength right now. So, buckle up and let's go." After that, Neria then took a step but crumbled to the ground.

"Neria, are you alright?!" Leliana exclaimed as she helped her to get up.

"Ugh… I must be more tired than I thought. Leliana, help me walk, will you? Let's hope I get some of my strength back before we arrive to the Dalish camp."

"Well, are we ready to go, then? I'd rather not stay around such place during nighttime," Morrigan drawled lazily as she examined her fingernails.

"Bah, don't act so high and mighty. I still don't get why you're still following us. Don't you have anyone else to bother? Somewhere to spread some evil?" Alistair retorted angrily, glaring daggers at the brunette, who only shrugged with amusement.

"Evil? Tis such a naïve concept, clearly an appropriated word for such a… naïve mind. If you must know, I did agree to accompany this group, as foolish as it is. It's clear that without me, this campaign against the Blight is doomed before it even starts, since you're going with us. Such a shame."

"Ugh! Enough, I'm done talking with you!"

"Oh, so now we resort to ignore me, like some kid who got scolded? How extremely childish of you, although I suppose it shouldn't surprise me."

"I'm _not_ listening, I'm _not_ listening!" Alistair chanted as he tried to ignore the young woman, who only laughed evilly.

"And this is the group supposed to stop the Blight?" Neria muttered as Leliana helped her walk.

The redhead snorted quietly. "My thoughts, exactly."

"Oh, joy."

Without further ado, they left the strange ruins and quickly set a moderate pace to return to the Dalish camp. They had been out most of the day and it was already noon but the party managed to reach the Dalish before the sky darkened completely. They were greeted by Lanaya and Mithra, who commanded a group of five elves who had not been affected by the curse.

"It seems that you've accomplished it, Grey Wardens. The cursed blood seems to have vanished from all our hunters. Now, they only need to rest and heal. It is too bad that Zathrian had to die. I… I felt it when he departed. I think… that he was ready to go," Lanaya told them with a saddened face.

Neria opened her mouth to tell her about Zathrian's connection to the curse, but seeing Mithra and all the others in somber moods made her rethink about it. Who was she to destroy the image of kind and gentle Zathrian? At least, his legacy among his people perhaps would inspire young elves to better themselves and help their people.

"I'm sure he was," she nodded with a jerky movement of her face but her companions could feel the slight sarcasm in her voice; the only reason the other elves didn't notice it was the state of distress they were.

"This was a very… unsavory business. Nonetheless, now that Zathrian has passed on, it is my duty as his apprentice to take the mantle of Keeper and protect and guide this clan. As Zathrian promised you, we will uphold the end of our bargain. I do not know if we will ultimately be triumphant but no one will say that the Dalish elves didn't come to the Wardens' side when they called," Lanaya assured them as they slowly made their way to the Keeper's tent.

"Thank you, Lanaya. Let's hope we can get the help from the others groups, too. Ferelden's survival depends on it. If it's not too much to ask, though, could we stay here for the night? We've been fighting non-stop all day and we could use the rest."

Lanaya smiled with a nod. "Of course, Warden. You did us a great favor today, one that perhaps we won't be able to ever repay entirely. Many families will not mourn their lost, thanks to you. We have some empty tents, so you can choose whichever you prefer."

"Will do. Thank you." Neria then turned to her followers, who looked with varying emotions, ranging from bored to excited. Others just didn't care as long as they got some rest and some were too busy chasing their tails to show anything else. "Well, you heard her, let's get some much needed rest, guys. We're setting out tomorrow morning. I'll ask Lanaya to send someone to fetch Sten."

With murmured agreements, the three individuals and one dog retired to their tent while Neria turned to Lanaya, who smiled at her.

"Don't worry, my friend, I heard it. I assume Sten is the individual from the camp a scout found some hours ago. I'll send someone to bring your friend here."

"Thanks, Lanaya," the blond mage told her, grateful. "However, tell them to be careful. In case your scout didn't tell you or something, Sten is a qunari. A real one, not one of their converted people, I mean, so whoever goes should not… irritate him too much. He's a weird one, I admit."

"I understand. Loras! Could you come here for a moment?" She shouted.

After a few seconds a young elf with raven locks and a stoic, although slightly saddened expression approached them.

"How can I help you, Lan… I mean, Keeper?"

"Loras, one of the Warden's friends is in their camp, in the forest's borders. It's the one Elised found. As her companions are going to stay here for the night, the Warden thought it proper to fetch her…friend, Sten. Be careful, because he's one of the Qun."

After hearing that, Lora's demeanor changed entirely. Now looking warily at Neria, he couldn't help but ask. "Is it wise to travel with one of the horned people?"

Neria shrugged. There wasn't much to say, really. "I can't say if it's wise or not, but he's helpful and his physical dominance will come in handy during the Blight. We can't get picky when almost anyone is out for our blood."

Hearing that, the male elf couldn't help but nod gravelly. "Quite true, Warden. Well, it's that's all, I will set out immediately."

"Understood. Keep your eyes open, Loras."

"Aye, aye, Keeper."

"Neria, if it's not much bother, I'd like to speak with you. Privately." Lanaya's voice brought the mage out of her musings. Instinctively, she knew that she wouldn't like the topic of her conversations.

"… Of course. Do you wish to talk here?"

"No, inside my tent. The others will know I'm not to be disturbed." Without waiting for a reply, Lanaya entered into the tent and Neria gulped. Sometimes, she just wished she never joined Duncan and the Grey Wardens. Pushing aside the strips of fabric that served as a make-up door, she joined the new Keeper inside the tent. The interior was sparse, at best, though she supposed it was to be expected from a nomadic lifestyle.

"Tell me, Neria… what did really happen inside those ruins?"

"W-what do you mean? Nothing happened, really! Just dusty old ruins, some smelly wolves and an old curse. Too bad Zathrian had to die to end the curse, though. I kinda liked his demeanor," Neria stuttered but Lanaya only chuckled amusedly.

"Neria, I've heard the Da'len tell many lies before. Most of them are simply awful and nobody believes them. You lie even worse than them," she evenly said.

Neria's only response was to huff rather disgruntled. Nobody liked to be compared to a child. However, she didn't see any reason to keep lying now. "Well, you're right, I lied. In fact, I think Zathrian was kind of a cold bastard, but that's my opinion. And yes, things… happened in there."

"Tell me, then. I want to know the truth. I deserve to know," the Keeper demanded imperiously. She certainly didn't look so happy with that comment about Zathrian being a bastard, though.

"…"

"Neria… _please_… I… I need to know what happened there," she begged and Neria realized with silent shock that her eyes were all misty. Was she crying? Damn, what was she supposed to do? "Zathrian took me in when I was so little. He was like the father I never had."

"Are you sure you want to know? The details… they're not pretty."

"Yes, please. Tell me."

"Well, where do I begin? First, we met a werewolf called Swiftrunner near the small waterfall. The fact that he had name and the ability to speak told us that things were not as they seemed. He said that…"

For what seemed hours, Neria told her everything in the forest and inside the ruins. Lanaya was a surprising good listener, gasping in the right moments and making questions when they were really needed. Soon enough, the tale was over.

"I… I can't believe this. I knew Zathrian lost his own children to humans but from that to create the cursed blood that affected our hunters…"

"I can't claim to know how Zathrian was before, but the Zathrian I saw in the ruins was an old, bitter one. Hate and sorrow were the only things that drove him from a long time," explained Neria.

"I never thought… I… I don't even know what to say… Zathrian… the Zathrian I knew was so kind and gentle… How could be so different from the man I knew? It's almost too hard to believe." Lanaya's shoulders started to shake and Neria realized after a few seconds that she was sobbing softly, finally breaking down after holding it for so long. She could only pat her on the shoulders rather awkwardly. There were almost no such situations in the Tower, where the most you could get were emotions like fear, joy, anxiousness…. More rarely were happiness or even love, but never something like this kind of emotional breakdown and so, Neria really didn't know what to say. However, that didn't mean she couldn't try.

"I'm sure that… although my opinion of him was not a good one, Zathrian would be proud of you, Lanaya. He'd know that you… er… will lead the clan like no other could."

Lanaya let out a slight giggle at her comforting words and muttered, "You're almost as bad at comforting someone as you are at lying, Neria."

Neria grimaced at the other blonde's remark but chuckled half heartedly. "Well, I do try to be nice."

"Thank you. For your words, I mean. I… I still have to take it all in and need some time about Zathrian's actions… I don't know if I'll be able to be as good Keeper as Zathrian once was but that won't stop me from trying. Now I am the Keeper and I will do everything in my power to protect my people and my clan from this Blight, even if it means going to the battlefield to fight against it!" Lanaya proclaimed and for a moment, Neria could've sworn she saw a fire in her eyes, burning as strongly as her words did.

Perhaps she was not alright, not yet. But with time, she would be.

"I'm glad and if it means something, I think you'll be a great Keeper. Honest."

"Thank you, Neria. It means a lot to me."

Neria smiled at her but then had to stifle a yawn with a hand. "Uh, well, I think it's time for me to get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day and we must set direction to the Tower of Magi," she commented as she got up. Lanaya did as well but then she put a hand on her shoulders.

"Wait, Neria." When the young Grey Warden looked at her questioningly, she sighed. She looked conflicted over something. "I… I wanted to give you as reward something more… personal. Neria, I wish for you to receive the vallaslin, the practice of blood writing that mark the Da'len as adults in our society," she finally said with an intense look, to which Neria could only sputter in shock.

"W-wait, what?! I've read about the Dalish in the Tower, I can't receive the vallaslin. I'm not Dalish! I'm just… a knife ear," she said, so quiet that Lanaya had trouble to understand that last part.

"And why should I care about that?" After receiving Neria's shocked stare again, she continued. "It's true that you're not Dalish, yes but the process of vallaslin is ultimately a very symbolic one in which the Da'len become adults in our eyes. The circumstances may be… irregular but I believe you deserve it. In my eyes you are a true adult, a fellow mage that has proven herself and a friend."

Neria almost gaped at her but managed to recover at the last moment and when Lanaya saw her misted eyes and her bright smile, knew she had done the right decision, traditions or not. Neria's previous sleepiness was entirely forgotten.

"I… I'd love too, Keeper Lanaya."

"Well, then, Neria…" she trailed off, realizing she didn't know her surname, or if she had any at all. Thankfully, her fellow mage seemed to catch on the reason behind her silence and added a rather helpful, "Surana. I'm Neria Surana."

"Right. Well, Neria Surana. In the eyes of the Keeper you have been declared ready to become and adult through the vallaslin. Do you think yourself ready?" she asked, suddenly solemn.

"I do."

"Er… well, since you are not aware of our customs and lore, tell me is there any design in particular you'd like from those you've seen in the members of the clam?"

And with that, the solemn atmosphere was gone. However, Neria furrowed her nose, thinking about the tattoos –the vallaslin, she corrected herself- she had already seen.

"I think I'd like the same design that Elora has.."

"You choose well. Her vallaslin honors Dirthamen, the Keeper of Secrets. Twin brother of Falon'Din and god of secrets and knowledge," she explained and Neria thinking over it, deemed it fitting. As Grey Warden, she was expected to keep a lot of secrets of the order. "Normally, the process of vallaslin is done in complete silence but since we've already broken the first and biggest rule, why not go all the way? I'd like to get to know the person who saved my clan a bit more," Lanaya said as she brought out the different vials of vallaslin while motioning for Neria to sit down on a stool.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Why don't you tell me about that Tower of yours? It's the place where you learnt magic, right? I always wanted to know more about the places that teach magic outside the Dalish clans."

"Well, the Tower was… is a rather hard place to get used to. Did you know that…"

As Lanaya applied the vallaslin on Neria's face, they talked about many topics, mostly about the world outside the Dalish clan and what Neria knew about it. Lanaya showed a genuine interest in knowing the world outside of the little social ecosystem she knew from her clan. They cemented and made their budding bond of friendship grow trading experiences and different spells. Finally, after two hours of carefully drawing the complex tattoos of the Dalish, Lanaya put down the white brush, which Neria had the suspicion that was made out of bone of some kind of animal.

"It's done."

Lanaya then handed to her a small mirror so her fellow mage could take a look at her new appearance. Neria, for her part, grinned from ear to ear; she loved her new tattoo. It was elegant and although it sounded a bit petulant, she thought that it looked good on her.

"Wow… It's… incredible," she admired, breathlessly.

"I'm happy you like it. The Keeper of a clan only applies the vallaslin in the most special of cases, but I had confidence in my abilities," Lanaya said with an unusual bout of pride in her eyes. "You should go and sleep now. Who knows what will you encounter on the road?"

"True. Well, if that's all, I'll retire to our tent now… Oh, and thanks. For the vallasslin, I mean. It means a lot to me, more than you know."

After some more pleasantries, Neria finally left Lanaya's tent and looked at the sky. It was night then and midnight was near. She would have to hurry if she wanted to be at one hundred percent the next morning. However, just as she was about to go to their tent, her eyes caught a sudden movement in one of the far sides of the camp and realized with a startled lock that Naruto was standing there, on a little hill, staring at the moon with a faraway look in his eyes.

Worried about him, Neria walked up to the young man. "Naruto, you awoke. Are you alright?"

He didn't seem in a hurry to answer, but when he did, he spoke with such reverence that she even felt moved by his words. "The moon… do you see it? Most people don't even look up to watch it and even then, it's one of the most beautiful sights a world has to offer…" As Naruto spoke, Neria only looked at him, concerned. It seemed that the consequences of his release were already showing. Oblivious to everything else, Naruto continued speaking, "It's been so long since the last time I saw the moon. So long since I could breathe pure air from the winds and feel the touch of the earth in my toes, the soil that supports all of us…" Immediately after that, he dropped to one knee, placing his right palm open and gently touching the ground. He then turned to Neria, who finally was able to see his face. He had been crying this whole time. "I could never repay what you've done for me, Neria Surana! Is there anything I could do to repay you?"

Neria licked her lips, a little nervous. She had been meaning to ask him for help against the Blight but she'd never expected to be given this kind of opportunity, not even in her wildest dreams. Such a chance only happened once and she wasn't idiot enough to let it pass without taking profit. After all, she had a country to save.

"Well, then. I already know what I want from you in return. I'm not sure if you're aware of the term, but right now, Ferelden is going through a Blight, the fifth one. Blights are…" she started to explain but he raised one hand, stopping her.

"Don't worry, I already know about the Blights and its taint upon this world."

"Thanks goodness I don't have to explain it, then. If you know about the Blights, you must know about the Grey Wardens." Naruto nodded. "Well, it's a little hard to understand, but the armies that were supposed to stop the first waves of darkspawn were betrayed by the King's advisor, Loghain Mac Tir. We don't know the reason but he placed the blame on us, the Grey Wardens. And that's a problem more than anything else because, well, grey wardens are, supposedly, the only ones who can kill the archdemon leading the Blights and there are only two remaining Grey Wardens in all of Ferelden: me and my senior by six months or so. In a nutshell, we're basically doomed from the start."

Neria frowned, said like that; her explanation sounded like there was no salvation… although it was hard to remain positive when one put the whole mess in perspective.

"Well, it's good to see that, no matter the time you live in, there will be always a great disaster waiting for you," Naruto said with a grin. "I always liked to defy the unlikely. If what you want is my help, then you don't have to ask for it, you already have it. It's been too long since _Nightshade_ tasted the blood of those twisted beasts, anyway."

The woman raised an eyebrow at that. "_Nightshade_?"

"Yes, of course, the bladed staff that you must've foun…" Naruto paled, a terrible suspicion sneaking its way inside his mind and when he looked at her again, she only saw growing dread in his eyes. "Please, tell me you found a bladed staff in there." What could she give him, except the truth?

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Naruto… There was nothing in the ruins we found you in…" The silence engulfed them as Naruto looked down with a defeated air in him. "Was… was it that important to you?"

"… You could say that. It was a gift from a very important person to me," he glumly answered. He suddenly kicked the dirt furiously. "If I find my staff in the hands of someone, may the gods from all religions help them, because I will kill them if they deny me my weapon."

Neria didn't say anything to that. What could she say, anyway? It wasn't as if she could relate to whatever had happened to him and discovering to have lost one of his most prized possessions with an added sentimental value surely was a huge blow to him.

"Well, you never know. Perhaps we'll stumble upon your weapon as we travel around Ferelden," she commented trying to lift his spirit.

"You'd believe in such luck?"

"As I said, you never know. Ferelden is in turmoil right now, and perhaps, just perhaps, this turmoil could make the blade to reappear if it's in Ferelden. Who knows?"

After a long moment of silence, Nauto nodded. "I'll take what I can. However, if I'm to help you to defeat the Blight, I'll need someone to fill me in what has happened since the last time I was free."

Neria nodded in return, glad to have someone else helping them. "I myself will tell you all you need to know but that will be tomorrow. It's too late now and I'm very tired."

Seeing as Naruto knew where the tent exactly was, he led Neria to it. The others were all already asleep, so they did as minimal sound as they could. Soon, they too fell asleep.

**xxOOOxx**

When the morning came, the group prepared to depart with Lanaya's promise to gather as much help from the others clans as she could. She also informed them she would send a hunter to track them down from time to time so they could give him different goods the Dalish needed but couldn't get due to human interference.

With all the goodbyes said –of course, from the more friendly ones in the party-, they set out their next destination, the Tower of Magi. Since Orzammar was a world on its own, ruled by the dwarves and pretty much isolated politically from Ferelden and all the other countries, they decided to leave the dwarven treaty in last place. However, even the Tower presented its own problem, even if they were only known by their de facto leader.

'_What am I supposed to do there? Greagoir could try to get payback from that stunt with Jowan and if he does, what will I do, then? Fight him? Even if we are a good combat unit, are we prepared for open confrontation with highly trained templars? There are one hundred templars between all ranks in the Tower at all times, perhaps even one hundred fifty with the routinely rotations. We're simply no match for them, especially if they come crashing down on us at once. Sten is still weak from all those weeks in the cage with minimum food; Morrigan and I will be nullified if even one single Holy Smite touches us. Leliana is a lay-sister and as good as she is with the bow and the daggers, I sincerely doubt she could survive that… And I don't even know if Naruto can fight well enough or at all…' _

And even so, why had Alistair given her leadership of this group? For Heaven's sake, sometimes she only wanted to throttle Alistair!

A highly amused chuckle and a scared gulp brought her to the real world and her cheeks reddened to an impossible shade of red when she realized everyone was staring at her. Morrigan was the first to break the silence with a sarcastic remark, as usual.

"Well, it seems that you have admirers everywhere you go, my _dear _Alistair." Said man simply ignored her as he protected his neck with a hand with a grimacing but confused look.

'_He probably is wondering if he said anything,'_ thought Leliana with a quiet giggle.

"Ugh, nevermind, just keep walking."

As they resumed their walking, Naruto approached her. "Since you offered, I was wondering if I could take you up on your offer to tell me everything I missed."

"Sure. First of all, I should know the age when you were… sealed away, so I can have a reference," Neria told him and noticed that almost everyone started to pay attention while trying to remain inconspicuous about it. Sten simply keep walking, showing clear disinterest with it. He still seemed a little disgruntled about the fact that she was the de facto leader of their group. It was hard to tell, though, since Qunaris had the emotional expressivity of marble.

"Well, before… that incident, the First Blight had finished some years ago. No more than five or so."

Neria widened her eyes. Just after the First Blight? That meant he had been there when one of the most important political-religious movements of all Thedas started. The kind of information he could posses! Just the thought of it almost made her drool. She simply had to ask. "Wait, were you there when Andraste started her campaign against the Tevinter Imperium?"

Leliana's neck snapped from the speed she used to look at her in shock but she immediately understood her reasoning and her eyes adopted a hungry look, looking Naruto as if he was some sort of prey. Sadly, Naruto looked uncomfortable with the question and Neria immediately regretted asking it.

"I'm not really comfortable with this topic. There was a lot going on then and chaos had spread around the different lands. As you can imagine, the Tevinter Imperium was crumbling in pieces, riots spread everywhere. The populace was rising against the magisters and blood magic ran rampant across the cities ruled by them. And then, Andraste appeared…"

"And then?" Neria asked, excited at being one of the few allowed this mine of information.

Naruto grimaced sullenly. "And then, nothing. Andraste is dead, as is everyone who lived in that time. There's no point in talking about it when it will not help us win this war. Let past eras rest in peace."

After his frosty rebuttal, no one was really in the mood for more talking, so they walked in silence until Alistair, who was the one scouting with Fang, saw something further down in the road they were walking.

"Hey, I think there's someone coming this way."

"Okay, people. Be ready, we may have a fight here. Naruto, stay with Fang, my mabari. He'll protect you if a fight breaks out."

"I'm not exactly helpless, you know," protested the clearly offended man , though it had no effect on Neria.

"No, I don't know, and I'm not going to let yourself killed when I just got you out from the Fade." Naruto grumbled, clearly annoyed, but didn't say anything else, knowing she was right but he'd never backed down from a fight in his life. Why should it be different now?

In a tense silence, they kept walking until the man with the cart Alistair had seen approached. Their worst fears soon were mostly put to rest when the man let out a relieved sigh when he saw them. He shoot a nervous glance at Sten, being the most imposing individual of them all but, surprisingly, the man managed to keep his cool as he walked up to Neria.

"Excuse me, you're one of the Wardens, yes?"

"Who wants to know?" Neria gripped her staff tightly. He didn't look like a soldier but he could be a spy…

The man's eyes flew to the staff and hurried to introduce himself. "My name's Levi. Levi Dryden. You're a hard woman to find, though. Anyway, did Duncan ever mention me? Levi of the Coins? Levi the Trader?"

"I'm Neria and Duncan never mentioned you. Sorry." Naruto noted Levi seemed really surprised by that little tidbit.

"Really? He and I knew each other for years, you know, I'm surprised he didn't say anything about me. But here I am carrying on while you have a Blight to stop. So, since I don't want to waste your time, I'll be quick. I was wondering if you could do me a favor," he started with a hopeful look.

Neria gave him a dubious look and crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"You see, Duncan promised me we together would look into something important for the Wardens and for me. But Duncan's… well, no more. A tragedy, that is. But I know he'd want his work carried on. His pledge fulfilled, if you will."

Neria kept staring at Levi, unsure of what to do. Should she trust him or not? "Alistair, you knew Duncan for longer than I did. Did he ever mention Levi?"

Said blond seemed unsure as well. "I… I'm not sure. Perhaps he did but if that's the case I don't remember it. As Ferelden's Commander of the Grey, Duncan had many secrets, though. I wouldn't be surprised if Levi was one of them."

The junior Grey Warden sighed in despair. Nothing was easy, wasn't it? "So, well, what did Duncan promise you?"

"First I should give you some context. My great-great-grandmother, Sophia Dryden, was Warden-Commander of Ferelden back when the Wardens were known as freeloaders. So King Arland banished the Wardens and took their lands and titles."

"Isn't that a little drastic? What did they do to deserve that kind of actions? Grey Wardens aren't hold that much by a king's influence as an independent organization."

"Unfortunately, little is known about that time. After King Arland died, there was a civil war, way worse than this one," Levi explained with a shake of his head. However, that comment about a civil war raised every alarm in Neria's mind and for what she could see, in the other's as well, except Sten's, of course.

"Wait, what's that about a civil war?"

"You didn't know? After the defeat of the armies at the battle of Ostagar, Teyrn Loghain appointed himself as regent for his daughter, the now widowed Queen. Obviously, most of the Bannorns didn't really like that kind of action and declared war on Loghain. There had been some skirmishes already," Levi filled them in.

"… Great, just great! How are we supposed to save this country when its leaders are trying to rip it apart with civil war! The army of darkspawn is coming, that damn archdemon is leading it and the human armies are trying to kill each other!" Neria exploded. The party looked on slightly amused, especially Morrigan, as Neria kept on ranting about the unfairness of the world, so no one saw Sten look away, mildly ashamed of what was happening.

After five minutes, Neria had calmed down enough to continue the conversation with Levi. "Okay… okay, Levi, just… keep talking so I don't over think about this."

"Well, after that, our family was on the run, hunted by our enemies with no real friend in the world. As you can imagine, our name was run through the mud but Drydens are tough. We rebuilt, became merchants and we never lost our pride."

"You'll excuse my rude behavior, Levi, but as interesting your family history is, you still haven't told us about what Duncan promised you."

"Yes, quite right. Before Arland died, the Grey Wardens took a last stand in an old fortress they owned in the mountain, called Soldier's Peak. It's deep into the Coastlands and sits atop a maze of abandoned mining tunnels. I asked for the truth. My family was feared because of Sophia Dryden. We know she died in Soldier's Peak and we want evidence to clear her name. It won't restore our lands or our titles but it will restore our honor."

Unfortunately, Neria didn't seem as impressed as did Alistair or Leliana. Morrigan showed her boredom by making sure her staff was in excellent condition although Naruto did show some interest.

"Soldier's Peak? Never heard of it and you're speaking with someone considered a bookworm by her fellow magi novices back in the Tower."

"Well, no one has set a foot inside the fortress for the good part of a century and half, at least. My theory is that, whatever happened in Soldier's Peak, they wanted to keep it hush hush and leave it forgotten. Most of the events surrounding Soldier's Peak have fallen into semi-obscurity by now. I spent years mapping that maze of mining tunnels and two years ago or so I finally found a way in so I obviously went to Duncan. He'd have his old fortress back to the Wardens and I'd got to clear the Dryden name."

"Wait, if Duncan already knew, why didn't he help you back then?" she asked.

Levi shrugged. " There was never too much time for something like this back then. We had been preparing an expedition recently but by then, darkspawn were already appearing and he had to deal with them. From what I understood, the Fereldan Wardens weren't that big in numbers, since they had returned some decades before. Duncan commented we could probably find useful things in there, said we would go once things settled down a little… but he never got the chance," he muttered with a sad expression and Neria felt the choking sensation from the first days after Duncan's death return. It'd hurt then and it still hurt though now it felt numbed as well. She conspicuously blinked, trying to will her tears away.

Thankfully, the new options Levi had given her could get her mind off from those thoughts. Duncan's death was still kind of a sore subject for her and it wouldn't be until some time later that she would even try to get some closure. However, she didn't want to think about what Alistair was going through, having known Duncan for longer.

"Well, I think it's a good idea. However, sell me the idea. You're the one asking for help, after all."

"Alright, then. See, reclaiming Soldier's Peak will be a symbolic step in many ways, mostly to the Wardens in other countries. However, militarily speaking, it's an strategically important stronghold. The mines under it are practically a labyrinth, which can be a good resource if someone knows what they're doing. Moreover, who knows if there are still some useful minerals down there. Also as a fortress, you could house your allies in Soldier's Peak while you gain more allies and strength. On top of that, we could recover lost Warden history and lore and if we're really lucky, even some old relics, you never know."

It certainly sounded like a very good deal. She just hoped it wouldn't be as difficult as getting the Dalish' help had been. However, Neria shook her head immediately. What was she thinking? Of course it would be as difficult as that.

"Okay, people. Change of plans. We're taking back Soldier's Peak."

* * *

><p>That's it. See you guys in the next chapter!<p> 


	6. Soldier's Peak I

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto nor Dragon Age: Origins. They belong to Kishimoto-san and Bioware, respectively.

Thank you all for the reviews. I wish more people would review the story but I suppose they will if they want.

I tried very hard to correct any mistakes, but I'm dropping dead with sleep as I write this, so if you find any errors, point them put and I'll fix them... tomorrow.

**[06/10/13]:** Fixed all the small mistakes and edited a bit the chapter. You can expect the other in no more than two weeks, possibly less.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**Soldier's Peak I**

"I don't care how you do it. I want them dead!" Loghain shouted, anger clear in his voice. "It wasn't bad enough with all the Bannorn rising up in arms and the darkspawn breathing in our necks. Now we have a group led by Grey Wardens travelling around the country doing Maker knows what!"

"Ah, sire. Precisely, I bring word about the Bannorn. There are demands that you step down from the regency. It seems they are gathering their forces, just as your allies are doing. It seems we'll have truly a civil war in the end, despite the darkspawn. Pity." Arl Howe drawled, not sounding the least saddened. However, the glare Loghain sent his way was enough warning to shut him up.

"However, about the Wardens' matter, I have arranged for a… solution. With your leave," he said, bowing his head and signaling to the man behind him to step forward.

Loghain inspected him. He was an elf but he showed tanner skin than most elves he'd seen. He had blond hair, as well. Loghain noted the elf moved with more confidence than many men he'd ever seen. He wore light leather armor and carried a sword and a small dagger strapped to his back. _'A rogue, then'_, he couldn't help but think with a frown. He'd always had issues with trusting a rogue. He felt as if they would backstab him in the back at any moment. They unnerved him but he'd kill himself before admitting such a thing.

"The Antivan Crows send their regards." The elf simply stated and Loghain's harsh frown deepened even more, if that was even possible.

"An assassin, Howe?" From the severity of his voice, the others in the room could see he was not exactly pleased with Howe's decision.

Howe felt it too and thus rushed to explain himself. "Against the Grey Wardens we will need the very best, sire." He reassured his liege but the elf's laugh was the only response to his statement. However, the assassin still wanted to say his part, too.

"And the most expensive." He told them with an amused grin.

Loghain didn't say anything for a long time. Was it right to use assassins to do his dirty work? He was Loghain Mac Tir, hero of River Dane. He shouldn't be going to mere assassins for his problems. He was a man of law and yet here he was, paying for an assassin to sort his problems out.

'_Maric… what would you think of me, now, old friend?' _

He remembered that young woman from the Circle, the elf with the dirty blond hair. She had tricked his guard into presenting him to her and although greatly annoyed by the man's stupidity, he couldn't help but feel mildly impressed by the girl's craftiness. She didn't look like an especially bad person. Was she one of those surviving Wardens out there? Would he condemn someone who had led a reclusive live for most of her life, done nothing wrong to him or Ferelden as a whole?

Could he? Did he have it within himself to say it?

Finally, Loghian spoke as he closed his eyes. "Just get it done."

'_Maker, have mercy on_ me.'

The elf left after bowing low, Howe following closely behind. Loghain stayed a little longer, immersed in his own thoughts but he too left after a while. No one noticed a person crouching down just behind the wall, trying to remain unnoticed. A few seconds after Loghain left, the person stood up, clearly shaken from the conversation.

There was a message to be sent.

xxxOOOxxx

"Finally, here we are. Soldier's Peak…" Levi sighed as the stepped out from the tunnel.

"Finally! Honestly Levi, in the end I really thought you were just kidding. A week just to travel to this fortress and then we had to get lost in those mines," complained Neria while dusting herself off.

Levi only coughed awkwardly. "Yes, well, my sense of orientation isn't as good as it used to be. Besides, the map got soggy. But we managed to find the way, didn't we?"

"Indeed, can't complain about that." Neria nodded as she stared at the ancient fortress. "It's even more impressive than I thought it would be."

"Yes, it is, isn't it? So, let's go in there. I'll follow you about. From a distance." Levi remarked and Neria couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Levi's great courage. "This place has the stench of death. Surely, there will be trouble up ahead. And I'm a merchant, not a fighter."

Neria turned back and looked at the others. Although they had tried to hide it, all of them were eager to explore an ancient building like Soldier's Peak. Even Sten looked mildly impressed by the Peak's magnificence.

'_Some action will do them good,' _she thought absently as she glanced at Naruto.

Since the day they had met Levi, he'd been pretty adamant at starting his own workout routine. He wanted to get back to top condition. However, seeing some of the exercises he did, Neria sometimes thought the group she led was full of crazy people. Most of his exercises were just plain out insane! Naruto had, however, waved away all their concerns and said it was perfectly fine.

However, as insane as his training was, Neria had to admit it gave him good results. In a week he'd been able to go toe to toe with Alistair and with only a sword, in an amazing display of speed and physical strength, though Neria knew those were _definitely_ not normal things. No one could move _that _fast, not without help, anyway. The others thought as much but they refrained from asking. They still weren't sure how Naruto would react to prodding into his past.

"Well, obviously there shall be trouble. One doesn't waltz in a place like this without expecting resistance. Who knows, we may even find a ghost or two." Morrigan said uncaringly but Naruto flinched noticeably when he heard the part about ghosts. Neria thought he was a little paler than usual, too.

"Wait, did you say ghosts? Fuck, I _hate_ ghosts!" complained Naruto with a nervous twitch.

"What's the matter, Naruto? Scared of ghosts?" Leliana teased with a good natured grin while he looked around nervously.

"It's just that I don't feel comfortable with things I cannot touch. What if they attack us or something? As long as I can fight it, I'm okay, but give me a ghost and… well…" he muttered.

"If it helps, I doubt we'll find much trouble in there, anyway. I mean, no one has set a foot in this part of Ferelden in more than a century. What could go wrong?" Alistar assured his fellow blond.

"You'd be surprised that almost any time a disaster happens, someone said those words just before. You just jinxed us, Alistair."

"Enough babbling. Let's form a more cohesioned group, just in case. You know the drill." Neria ordered.

Immediately, the different members of the party repositioned themselves in order to gain more versatility in case of an attack. In the end though, the males were each near a female. Since they were clearly weaker in terms of physical endurance, they would be easier to plow through brute force with a lucky shot. However, thanks to having the others near them would make it harder for the enemy to pick them off. Not that they were helpless in any way, mind you. Neria just didn't want to let anything up in the air.

They moved forward to the stone stairs that led to the courtyard. They could see some corpses -skeletons more than anything else-, but, obviously, nothing that still moved. However, nothing prepared them for what they saw next.

The world adopted a glassy appearance and there were soldiers running around the courtyard, doing various tasks. Despite all, no one seemed to see them, even though they were in plain sight. A man with an unkempt beard, fit in heavy armor, stood out as he gave out orders to all the grunts. From his argument with a soldier, they were preparing the set up the siege of the fortress and starve the Wardens out.

However, the implications of the vision were most disturbing to Neria. The Grey Wardens were supposed to be an independent organization. What had they done to warrant such actions from the king, since those soldiers were acting with Arland's consent?

"Wh-what was that? Felt a little woozy there." Levi asked with a worried look. "I mean, I'm not mad, right? You saw it, too? This place must truly be haunted."

"Don't worry, Levi. That was a vision. The small echo-like effect should tell you as much. Strange phenomena can be seen where the Veil is thin." Neria explained, putting her instruction as a mage into use.

Levi's curious look was the telltale sign he didn't know what that was. "The Veil?"

The mage leader nodded. "The Veil. That's what separates us from the Fade… and demons," she elaborated with a grim look. However, that was the wrong thing to say, for Levi immediately grew nervous.

"D-demons? Thank Andraste you agreed to came, then, Warden."

"Relax, Levi. I've faced demons before and you've got the best protecting you." Neria reassured him with a confident grin. "Just follow me. Everything will be fine."

However, it seemed that Naruto's words about Alistair jinxing them came true for the corpses of fallen soldiers suddenly stood up when Neria advanced to the second set of stairs.

"Enemies up ahead!"

"Neria, we've got archers behind us!"

"Alistair, Morrigan, deal with them!" Neria shouted as she drew her wooden staff. "Sten, with me! Leliana, snipe them whenever you can! Naruto, protect Levi!"

The Uzumaki forcefully grabbed the Dryden and drew him closer before an undead corpse could maul him. Backing away from the fight, Naruto made sure to stand in front of Levi while the others dealt with the undead. That way he could see how well they fought in an actual battle as well. No need to go for an overkill and start using his chakra-based moves. Not yet, at least. The mabari, _'Fang,'_ Naruto corrected himself, stayed with Levi and him.

Unsurprisingly, Sten was plowing through the enemies like they were hot butter, though that was thanks, partially, to Neria's work, who acted as support while also dishing out some minor damage as well. Sten, just like Naruto, had used the week to get into shape again and the results were already showing as well.

Sten's appearance had unnerved Naruto at first. Not having ever seen a Qunari before, his gray skin and his towering figure did strike him as menacing as they could get. If anything, he would stay clear of him, for the time being, at least. From what Neria had told him, they had appeared three hundred years ago from some obscure land far away and had started a great war against all of Thedas. In Neria's own words, they had conquered easily more than half of Thedas, thanks to the technological superiority they hold over the other races. Only the Tevinter Imperium's resistance had allowed some chance of defeating them. Neria didn't know much else, although her burning thirst for more knowledge about the Qunari was quite plain to see. To think that most of them had horns…

On the other hand, for all of their dislike for each other, Morrigan and Alistair worked remarkably well together. Morrigan was much more on the offensive than Neria was. Thankfully, Alistair was able to keep up an impenetrable defense so no one could get past him to attack Morrigan.

Morrigan was kind of weird, with those intense stares of her. It was even creepier thanks to her yellowish eyes. She was okay, though. At least, he hoped she was.

Now, Alistair was the kind of guy he could get on with really well. He was easy-going and pretty funny. Naruto especially enjoyed their banter during traveling, despite the fact that he could clearly see his uneasiness around him. He didn't hold it against him, though. He would've probably done the same in his place. He was a little childish, though, but he'd been like him for most of his life.

'_Not anymore.'_ He thought sadly.

The redhead woman, Lelianna, was also an interesting woman. Her skill with the bow was highly impressive, although he wasn't sure how good it'd be compared to other archers from this time. He had seen her once or twice with a dagger even if she tried to be sneaky about it. _'Smart move'._ That way she'd have something to use in case she had the need to. However, last he knew, the religious type never involved themselves with weapons or grisly battles, so he was curious.

Naruto allowed a small smile to show itself as he concentrated on the task of protecting Levi. Anything else, he didn't know, but at least he was sure he wouldn't get bored with them.

The group quickly dispatched the group of undead without many troubles, save some shallow cuts.

"Before we enter inside the actual fortress, I want all of you to spread out and inspect the outside. Who knows what could we find?"

In the end, they found a small fountain in one of the walls. A decorative statue of a woman with a pitcher had been built over the water canalization and a stream of icy water, connected to the periodic thaws, burst from the pitcher. If nothing else, the water would help to refresh themselves.

"Okay, these corpses were raised by demons. Not so surprising since the Veil is thin here. However, from what we've seen outside, it's logical to assume there will be more of them inside. I want all of you weapon ready. Levi, stay in the back with Naruto and Fang. They will protect you if anything tries to get to you. Whatever happens in there, Levi, stay_ calm_. If you start running around, you'll just attract their attention. Sten, you will take lead." Neria ordered.

For a split second, Sten looked pained for some reason, though Naruto didn't see any wounds in his body that could have caused such reaction. However, the emotion on his stony face barely lasted more than a blink and Naruto wondered if he hadn't imagined it.

"Very well, Warden_._"

Without more preamble, the ragtag group of persecuted individuals broke into the hall of the fortress. However, there they were assaulted with yet another vision. This time it was about Levi's own great-great-grandmother giving an encouraging speech to her Wardens when all seemed bleak and their lives destined to oblivion.

_"Men, I won't lie to you. The situation is grim: our forces outnumbered, our bellies empty, and our hearts are sagging. But we are Wardens! Darkspawn flee when they hear our horns. Archdemons die when they taste our blades. So are we to bend knee to a mere human despot? No! I, for one, will never give up! I, for one will never surrender, just to dance on Arland's gallows..."_

Naruto couldn't help but feel impressed by her words. Sophia Dryden certainly had a strong, burning will. That much was certain when she was able to reignite the fighting spirit of the other Wardens.

However, Morrigan sighed, clearly unamused by Sophia's speech. "'Tis woman may be charismatic but I find amusing the fact she sent them all their deaths. Pointless ones, at that. But it's even more pitiable that they decided to follow her." As impressed as he was with the speech, Naruto couldn't help but agree on some aspect with Morrigan. But she was wrong on one thing, at least. The Wardens didn't follow Sophia just because of her charisma.

However, Neria's frown and Alistair's perplexed look told him that it wasn't as simple as that. Leliana thought the same, because she voiced his concerns just before he did.

"Neria, Alistair, is something wrong?"

"Wrong I don't know, but something is definitely off about this." Neria answered. Alistair nodded.

"Yeah, Grey Wardens are supposed to stay out of political affairs. The fact that Arland himself gave permission to siege the fortress is enough sign that these Wardens did not comply with that rule," explained the blond ex-templar.

"But it seems that Arland himself was a tyrant, ruling despotically." Levi pointed out. "Perhaps that's why the Wardens rebelled?"

It was a fair question, after all. Listening to Sophia's words, Arland was a despot. Would it be too hard to believe?

"But that's not how it works! We Grey Wardens are supposed to keep our neutrality," Alistair protested, although he himself didn't sound as if he really believed his own words.

"You're not seeing the bigger picture, Alistair." Naruto's soft voice echoed in the hall eerily while all the others turned to him. He then elaborated. "Just because you take a vow doesn't mean it can't be broken. Those Grey Wardens surely had family: brothers, mothers… No matter how hard you try, some bonds cannot be broken. If Arland was really a tyrant, would it be too hard to believe they would ask them for help? And if they did, what would someone do? What would you hold dearer to your heart? Your vow or your family bonds? In the end, a vow is just a bunch of some fanciful words; your honor, an abstract thing no one can grasp. Tell me Alistair, if you were put in the same situation, wouldn't you want to help your family?"

"I… I guess you're right."

"'Tis foolish thinking. Family relationships don't have that kind of power. Only a fool would choose to lose their freedom and lives for something like this" Morrigan disagreed, clearly of the idea that things such as family bonds were only a weakness. Naruto shook his head in disagreement but didn't say anything else, too submersed in his own thoughts.

They were silent after that. Naruto's words had given them much to think about. However, they had a mission to do, so Neria decided they had been dilly dallying to much already.

"Well, uh, we should move on…" she started but Leliana interrupted her.

"Look, the Wardens signed a parchment with their declaration of resistance: _On these grounds, virtuous men stood against a tyrant. They stood defiant and stood for freedom. And they died. _Then there are their signatures. There are more than twenty."

"Definitely not a place I'd like to spend a vacation on."

"Come on, Leliana. Let's go."

The group progressed onwards but several demons appeared as soon as they all stepped into the big, dark room, led by an Arcane Horror. However, they all were quickly disposed off thanks to high fighting prowess of the group. To Naruto, it was easy to see the simple, yet very effective tactic. Alistair and Sten would attract the demon's attention while Morrigan and Neria used their magic, all the while getting aided by Leliana's skill with a bow. It was the same tactic as before.

The Arcane Horror was relatively powerful in magical prowess but lacked in regards of physical defense, so it fell rather easily when Sten and Alistair teamed up against it.

He was definitely impressed… by their standards. Of course, since he could breathe fire and do some impossible stunts with chakra, he really couldn't apply the same measuring stick. It was no bragging, just plain truth. Although it did stroke his ego every time he thought about it.

"Phew, that was easy." Leliana said as she slung her bow again.

"Speak for yourself, I'm the one covered in blood and parts I don't want to know about," grumbled a moody Alistair as he tried to get the blood off his armor.

"There's something I just thought about, though." Morrigan suddenly said. "Dryden here said that the Wardens were exiled. However, that's clearly not the case. Some of those skeletons we fought outside displayed a Gryphon crest. It's obvious there's more to the story than we were told."

"Perhaps we'll find the answers we're looking for as we progress. It's the reason we're here, after all."

Levi coincidently found a note from Bann Mathuin Wulff, who, from Alistair's words, was more likely than not, an ancestor of the actual Arl Wulff.

_Sophia,_

_Arl Ruahn and his entire family have been slaughtered, even the children. The Ruahn line is no more and the arling belongs to the crown, for now. Arland believed Ruahn was plotting against him. Ruahn criticized the king's spending on Wintersend-that is all. It was an idle word, spoken out of turn. The king goes too far. His brain is filled with madness and he clings to the crown like a drowning man clutches at a straw._

_Sophia, I beg you, help us. If nothing is done, more will suffer._

_Your humble servant, _

_Wulff_

"Well, Levi, seems like Arland really was a tyrant. Hopefully, we'll find more notes like these along the way." Neria noted after reading out loud the discouraging note. "Anyway, we have one door blocked and two more on either side of the room. Levi, stay here with Fang. Alistair, Naruto and myself will explore what's beyond the left one and Morrigan, Leliana and Sten will go to the one on the right.

The group split efficiently though the formation was quick broken when Naruto, who had gone first, cursed loudly when an arrow buried itself into the wall, missing him by millimeters. More walking dead readied their old rusty weapons to attack them. The party made quick work of them although Neria noticed that one of them, carrying a massive war-axe, was noticeably stronger than the others.

After the short battle, they used some minutes to rest and drink some water from their canteens as they explored a bit the room.

"This is weird." Alistair said yet again. Naruto, who was the one closer to him, raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Well, look at the furniture of this room. The second floor is filled with bunkbeds and some trunks for the Wardens. Basically, a barracks. But then, on entry level, it's like this room was used as a training area. Look at the size of it, it's was clearly intended for training, with all those weapons stands." Alistair explained while he gestured to everything.

"Don't worry so much about it, Alistair," said Neria, who had approached them. "After everything is said and done, we'll be able to modify everything we need to our convenience. We could turn this into a full training area, since it's not exactly summer outside."

"Sure, why not? Although I don't see myself picking up the hammer to rebuild the castle, just so you know."

"Trust me, if I let you do that, Soldier's Peak would fall down upon our heads in less than a week," joked a grinning Neria, making Naruto let out a short laugh. The petite mage joined him in seconds.

"Ouch, now that was uncalled for." However, Alistair's smile said otherwise.

However, their diversion was brought to a stop when Leliana walked up to Neria with another note, written in a rush in a wrinkled scrap of parchment.

"This is from someone named Athlar. He was a commander. It says: _Soldier's Peak is more than we bargained for. There is sinister magic at work here. The men are seeing things and cannot tell nightmares from reality. The fallen return to life to attack again and again, and we are assaulted by dark creatures the likes of which I have never seen. Whoever is responsible is intent on destroying us all-the king's army and the Grey Wardens both. _

_Send help! We cannot last much longer. _

_-Commander Athlar._"

"Well, seems like someone dabbled too much into blood magic. Play with fire and you'll get burned." Morrigan stated.

"Indeed. Seems like the more we find out, the more complex the situation is… was… Ugh, never mind."

After the little break the group pressed on. The next room they found was thankfully empty of dead Wardens or men from Arland's army that had been resurrected; there were, however, several skeletons with their bones arranged in a tangled mess. The room looked like a dining room for the Wardens, though they didn't found a kitchen or anything close to one.

After scouring the room for more clues from the past, they returned to the corridor and headed towards the last door. Just as Sten swung it open, another walking corpse caught him by surprise and toppled him over. However, Neria was close and quickly kicked it in the head before it could harm the qunari and Alistair quickly beheaded the corpse. Morrigan, meanwhile had destroyed the corpse into bits after freezing him with an ice spell. Naruto used a quick combination of devastatingly powerful punches and kicks to demolish his enemy, shocking Neria with the strength behind those blows.

Another wave of walking dead was raised but they were defeated with the combined strength of the party. Naruto found extremely funny the fact that, after Fang had dismembered one of the corpses, it still tried to kill them, crawling all the way. After killing ('_How can you kill something that's already dead, anyway?')_ all the corpses, Naruto's attention was directed on a dusty old tome on the ground. It was badly burned but perhaps there could be something of interest for Levi? However, as soon as he touched the pages, another vision of the past sprung on them.

_An old man, already graying in the hair, was frantically scribbling on the same book while a young girl with pigtails, the man's helper, kept on glancing nervously at the closed door. Cries and sounds of battle easily reached their ears and she winced every now and then. _

"_The door won't hold, Archivist!"_

_"Almost done. The truth must be told."_

_"What does it matter now?" the girl moaned. "We're dead."_

_The man kept on writing, his face strained and intent. "Our grand rebellion! So close! And to die here a stillbirth..."_

_"We never should have done it!" the girl cried. "Wardens aren't supposed to oppose kings and princes!"_

_"Should we stand idly by and—" _

However, whatever the archivist was going to reveal was lost as a loud crash indicated they had entered into the library, the vision fading out as it did.

"So, they _did_ rebel, after all," commented Morrigan with a pensieve look. It seemed that even she had become interested in the topic.

"Seems so. Levi, I know you may not like to hear this, but it's possible that Sophia used her charm and charisma as a means to use the Grey Wardens against Arland." Neria told the merchant. "However it was, let's press on. I'm sure we'll find the answers we want."

"Look at the number of bookshelves, the amount of books… who knows how many are filled with ancient stories or old myths?" Leliana wondered in quiet awe and Naruto idly wondered if the redheaded bard would start drooling at any moment.

"As much as I'd like go through them myself, we'll leave that for when the keep is not infested with demons." Neria pointed out, although the blond shinobi could easily see she too was fighting hard the urge to claim the books as her personal loot. "So, shall we continue?"

The second floor of Soldier's Peak awaited them.

xxxOOOxxx

Meanwhile, several miles away from them, a shady meeting was taking place in an obscure place of Denerim.

A lone figure, garbed in a black hooded cloak walked purposefully through alleys and murky backstreets with a clear destination in mind. The figure oozed confidence and something about it made all the petty robbers and thieves think twice about assaulting such intimidating figure.

For their part, the figure was all too aware of their presence. It wasn't the first time the figure had to put up with something like this and had been a victim of attempted theft more times than one would expect. Not even once had the potential robbers walked away unscathed and the figure's purse had never been touched.

Certain in their steps, the figure finally arrived to a highly unremarkable looking house. Carefully making sure no one had actually followed them, the figure looked at every corner of the small alley. Pleased with the results, the figure knocked a specific combination on the door and waited.

It took minutes for an answer to arrive but the figure knew it was standard procedure to make sure the specific knocking sequence hadn't been a fluke. Finally, a horizontal part of the door slid away and the hooded figure could barely make out a pair of black, beady eyes in the darkness.

"The wolf runs free across all countries." The figure muttered.

"And rumor has it that he's the being of many faces. Good, follow me."

The door opened only enough for the figure to pass through. As it was already well into the night, the figure could only discern the body of a man. He led the figure to a big room with two chairs and a table, with a single lit candle on it. There was no other source of light in the room but it helped the hooded individual to see a single person, another man, seated on one of the chairs. The hooded individual couldn't see the man's face but truthfully, the two dozens odd men and women staring at them from the shadows were more worrisome than one single man. They wanted for the newcomer to know they were there, that they simply allowed their potential client to see them. Basically, a showing off of strength.

The figure mentally scoffed at that thought.

"Seems like everyone needs an extra bit of juicy gossip to leech of off others, in these hard times. Can't complain, though. It's good for business." The seated man commented while gesturing for the newcomer to sit down. "So, what can I do for you? My boys tell me you've been very persistent about having this mkeeting."

"I need you to deliver a message." The curt, crisp answer was met with a brief chuckle.

"Every days surprise you with something new. I don't know who you are. Don't care in the slightest, either. But I fear you'll go home empty-handed. My services don't involve getting myself into mail business. We're not couriers." The grunts snickered softly, as if they were in the know of some sort of an inside joke.

"Indeed, they don't. They revolve around information and that's what I'm giving you. Besides, sending mail shouldn't be that hard, considering the other things you do for a living, Dark Wolf," the cloaked individual casually remarked.

The man, now identified as Dark Wolf, chuckled again. "Too true. Well, what's your proposition, then?"

"You will send a message to the person or group of persons I tell you. The payment will be sixty sovereigns; twenty now and forty after I get foolproof confirmation the message has been received."

"Sixty sovereigns? Not I'm complaining, but just for a message? Tell me everything or I won't bother finish listening to your offer."

"As you suspect, the 'whom is the letter for' part is the dangerous thing. The message is for the Grey Wardens."

The man shifted in his chair but his thoughts couldn't be picked up by the still hooded figure. "Shit, I get it now. I don't want any part of this little war of schemes and plots of you nobles. Maker knows the common folk have it bad already because of Loghain, though the true son of a bitch is that weasel of Howe. He's not a man, he's just a butcherer. Of course, my birdies have all kinds of interesting stories about him. If you're interested... well, we could always reach a satisfactory deal." He offered.

The figure stilled for a moment, thinking on it but ultimately shook their head."Perhaps another time. However, if you don't want to do it, then so be it. I will have to take my offer to somebody else. Though I'm surprised someone with such a reputation would care for the common folk."

However, the Dark Wolf rose from his seat, suddenly furious. "That snot-nosed upstart of Ersom is not getting more ego in that empty head of his just because I didn't want a contract! Fine, we'll take it. I will send my best. What will the message be? However, don't think I've forgotten that last comment, though I'll let it slide this time."

The hooded figure handed him a rolled parchment but didn't say a word when he rudely unrolled it and started reading. Obviously impressed, he whistled.

"So, they're sending Crows, then? Someone must be _really_ getting on Loghain's nerves. Ha, good for the Wardens!"

"Yes, well. Just make sure they send a reply. Contact me when your man has returned and I will tell give you the location of the remaining sovereigns."

"Wait, aren't you afraid of what I could do with this kind of information?"

"Well, you could, of course, break your end of the bargain. But that would mean no more easy money through more messages. Besides, I'm sure the Wardens could deal with most. I'm only sending this message because the Crows are certainly not a sane person would like to go against. Now, if that's all, good day." The figure said as they strode out of the house into the night again.

_'Hook, line, and sinker_._'_

* * *

><p>Hello to all, people! It's so good to give you all another chapter. Now this is the first part of Soldier's Peak. I had started writing, and writing, and writing…. and writing, and the chapter kept on growing with no visible stop. So when I reached the 15k+ barrier, I said "Stop right there!" and decided to cut the chapter in half.<p>

However, I didn't want to break the flow of the story too much and I finished with a little chapter of less than 5k+, so I added the last part. Hope you liked it! Now, I only have to finish the next chapter, edit it and post.

See you guys soon!


	7. Soldier's Peak II

**Disclaimer: **Neither Dragon Age: O nor Naruto are of my property.

**Disclaimer 2: **Huge recognition to Ghost11 and Teraki from the Dragon Age section of nexus mods. I have used one of their mods, which you will see in the last part of the chapter. Although I wasn't able to contact them and let them know I was using their mod for the story (don't have an account on nexusmods), THEY are the ones to be recognized for this marvelous piece of work.

Although I replied through PM almost every review you guys left me, I still wish to thank you all for the reviews, which were very helpful and supportive of my work (dear, I _must _be doing something right!). To **Skelo**, ** .16**, **pucflek** and **animenaruto46**, thank you all for the reviews! I hope you guys like this next chapter.

To the others, I can only say the same. To **TheGreatBubbaJ **and **G3neSyS, **awesome sessions of brainstorming! I'll definitely keep in mind your suggestions. With due kudos to you guys, of course. Don't think I've forgotten our talk about Neria's mabari, **TheGreatBubbaJ!**

To everyone else, I can only say that this time you like the chapter enough to review; still, thank you for your faves and follows.

As usual, if you see any mistake, point them out to me.

Naruto gets the timescreen he deserves and Neria really gets loose on Leliana! Go, girl!

And so, the second and final part of Soldier's Keep DLC is released. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six <strong>

**Soldier's Peak II**

After healing some minor wounds from their fight in the library, the group was ready to storm the next floor, using the stairs to reach the upper level of the keep. They arrived at a little mezzanine connected to a second set of stairs. In front of it was a homey fireplace, the fire cracking merrily. A big, old painting featuring an ancient commander of the Grey named Asturian had been hung on the wall above the hearth.

"This actually could be turned into a great sitting room, with the fireplace," Alistair said to Neria, who nodded absently in return.

Instead, she addressed her fellow mage. "Morrigan, are you thinking the same as me?"

"Why, I think I do, yes."

The cryptic exchange between the two mages clearly confused everyone else, as Naruto could see.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked

Morrigan turned to him, a calculative look in her eyes. "'Tis fortress was abandoned for close two centuries. Although clearly decayed, it's in much better shape than it should be. Wild life should have claimed this place long ago, even with the demons inside. Yet everything _feels _out of time."

"Speak clearly, Bas Saarebas, and stop wasting time." Sten rumbled with his usual deadpan tone of voice. Naruto could find the tiniest bit of frustration slip through, though.

Then, Neria decided to drop the proverbial bomb. "What Morrigan is trying to say in a roundabout way is this. If Soldier's Peak has been abandoned for so long… then how come the fire is still going on?" She softly asked.

They all froze, finally understanding the gravity of the situation.

"So… does this mean somebody is here? Alive, that is," wanted to confirm Naruto with a frown.

Surprisingly, Morrigan, who usually stayed out of their conversations unless it was to deliver a cutting remark, answered him.

"I suppose the idea of someone casting a spell to preserve the whole fortress is most likely. Why is there no rubble from fallen stones? The courtyard should be devastated and aside from the corpses, it was as clean as it could be. Obviously, all of you, except perhaps for Neria here, have such a feeble mind to distinguish the finer points of magic, so I simply shall have to use simpler terms for you simpletons." Morrigan sneered at them.

"Morrigan, be nice," Neria admonished but even her attempts were half hearted at best, which didn't sit too well with some of them. Naruto didn't care, either way, although even he couldn't deny how funny it was to see how worked up Alistair got every time Morrigan treated him with disdain, which in hindsight was basically the basic aspect of their relationship.

The Witch of the Wilds rolled her eyes, likely thinking of something along the lines of the lack of any semblance of intelligence in most of them, but complied with Neria's orders. "The most likely case is that someone casted a spell of preservation, like I said. That way, the actual buildings will be preserved as they were the moment the spell was cast upon them. The fire in the hearth can't be explained by other means. However, we only need to kill the one who casted the spell or convince them to dispel it." Morrigan explained with a look of distaste.

Naruto nodded, grateful that they at least had finally gotten an actual objective to follow and not something as vague as 'find clues from past' was. "I agree with Morrigan. Whoever they are, we can deal with them if they try something funny." The blonde said, crossing his arms over his chest. He actually saw a spark of curious surprise in Morrigan's eyes from his support, though she didn't react externally. _'She must think it's such a surprise I'd be supporting her," _he thought dryly.

"It does seem simple and straightforward." Neria agreed with him.

Leliana, however, shook her head. "But how do we even know they are still alive?" Her question was met with a derisive snort from Morrigan, who replied in here usual manner.

"If your head wasn't filled with air and supposed vision from this Maker of yours, your common sense would understand that a spell of this kind vanishes when the caster is dead." was her scathing retort. "Once you die, the connection is cut off. It's definitely blood magic."

Naruto wondered with a slight grin if Morrigan added to the blood magic bit on purpose to rile Alistair up. Again. Something told him she had. Unbeknownst to him, Neria was wondering the same thing but with a far more despair.

As expected, Alistair couldn't help himself. "So you _do_ know blood magic!" He accused.

Morrigan wasn't bothered in the least by Alistair's accusation and instead let out a bone-chilling chuckle. She however chose to remain silent, which probably didn't help the already wary glance Leliana was sending in her direction.

Naruto personally was a little unnerved about the remark. In all of his years in Thedas before… well, he never had encountered something like a blood mage and to discover that they could control you through their blood was not something he wanted to feel for himself. It was too much like Madara's Moon Eye plan again to his liking. And he certainly did not want to remember that part of his past.

Finally, the heated argument was killed before it was born thanks to Sten, who had decided to take matters into his own qunari hands. "_Parshaara!_ Enough of this nonsense, let us carry on and end this insufferable madness." He said with a frustrated frown as he hefted his greatsword with one hand.

They silently went up the stairs, arriving at a superior level in the floor. It was a huge room, looking a bit like a dining room since there was a table, placed slightly out of the way, in a corner. Other than that, there were different kinds of rusted objects and even remains of scorched rugs, but there wasn't anything that could tell them what the Wardens actually used the room for, since it was a huge space. The group passed by a partly destroyed defensive fence, most likely built by the Wardens, meaning Arland's men had reached the second floor. However, Neria signaled them to stop immediately.

"Watch out," she warned the others. "There are summoning circles on the ground. What's worse, there are several of them."

"Well, then. We finally have the confirmation to the note we found in the training room." Morrigan commented. "Someone was foolish enough to summon demons overestimating their abilities. What a bunch of idiots, although I oddly don't find myself really surprised by it."

Just as she finished speaking, another vision was triggered. This time it actually showed the brutal slaughter between the Wardens and the King's army.

_"Make them pay for every inch, men!" shouted Sophia as she killed every enemy that got too close to her. "Hold the flank! Avernus, we need you!"_

_Avernus raised his arms as he recited an incantation in Arcanum, the ancient language of the Tevinter Imperium. "Nelatep obresooth sythan net bekon!" Tearing the Veil, demons boiled out of the summoning circles, falling upon the king's men, who had frozen in the spot out of to terrified shock. Nothing had ever prepared them for something like this._

_"More, Avernus!" Sophia cried, lost in her bloodlust. "More! Whatever it takes! Press them! Press them now!"_

_Avernus summoned more demons but one of them suddenly lunged at a Grey Warden mage. She died before she touched the ground, her bowels spilling over it._

_A king's soldier screamed in another demon's grip as he was slashed open vertically, dying instantly. However, the demon wasn't satisfied and lashed out at a Grey Warden. More demons fell on any fighters within reach. Allegiances didn't hold meaning to them and only cared that they were prey. Alive, at that, their favorite kind of prey._

_"No!" shouted Avernus. "I command you! Attack the King's men only!"_

_A demon drifted toward him, and a deep, gurgling voice spoke._

_"Fool. So much death... so much suffering... and... oh, yes... __**blood**__. The Veil is torn. Your soul is mine, Avernus!" It told him with a joyful tone, with the promise of untold pain._

_"Acolytes," cried Avernuis as he backed down from the fight. "Retreat! The battle is lost!"_

_The mages scrambled up the stairs, visibly frightened by the carnage their senior in magical matters had brought down upon them. Some were caught by the demons, dragged down to their death, all the while screaming chillingly. In the midst of the slaughter, Sophia Dryden still stood, fighting to the last breath, her face filled with desperate hopelessness._

_"Avernus!" she shouted. "Avernus!"_

The vision blinked out but Levi seemed lost. "Did she really… I can't…!" However, his incoherent thoughts stopped immediately when a loud roar reached their ears as several demons appeared. "Oh no, more fighting!"

A rage demon stepped out from something that looked like a spirit door engulfed in several currents of lightning, most likely a physical link to the Fade. The demon was leading a small platoon of several undead bodies of Wardens and Arland's men and Neria, not used at all to close combat, stepped back while shouting commands to the others. Sten and Alistair stepped forward to confront the demon aided by Leliana and her unforgiving barrage of arrows, while Morrigan, Naruto and herself dealt with the undead. Fang protected Levi from all harm although he looked longing to join his mistress in battle.

Morrigan and Neria kept themselves in a safe distance and thanks to that, they could clearly see Naruto carving his way through the undead like they weren't even there. He was literally a whirlwind of destruction and Neria couldn't help but feel amazed once again at the inhumane speed and strength Naruto was displaying. Could it be he was an apostate and had found a way to apply magic to his limbs and, somehow, gain such impressive physical traits? The theoretical aspect of it boggled Neria's mind. Was it even possible? She didn't know but she intended to find out.

Before she knew it, the battle was over. Glancing at the others, her face turned a slight shade of green when she saw the demon. What remained of it, anyway. Most of its right arm had been hacked off and she could even see some grayish bone there. His left side had been viciously slashed with several deep cuts and a huge cut around what would pass for its waist told her it had almost been cleaved in half. She immediately knew Sten had been the one in the left flank. Its body was also sporting multitude of arrows, courtesy of Leliana. Neria, funnily enough, considered that it looked a bit like a pincushion.

"Oh, man." Alistair moaned as he applied a healing poultice on one of his wounds. "I'm covered with gallons of blood. Again."

However, Levi wasn't in the mood for jokes. His face was set on a disbelievingly look. "The Wardens summoned demons. I can't believe it. And my grandmother…" he choked out. "She knew."

"She was fighting for her life?" Neria tried to comfort the merchant. What could she say to excuse the summoning of demons, which was something she was against. "Remember, Levi, the Wardens don't forbid blood magic. Whatever it takes to kill as many darkspawn as possible."

"That simply doesn't cut it! I thought… I thought my family was better than that." He said, sounding heartbroken.

Neria suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at that remark. _'Well, obviously not,'_ but she didn't speak up. She still felt bad for Levi. It surely came as a harsh slap to the face for him to believe for so long in Sophia's –and ultimately, the Drydens'- honor and bravery and then finding out the cold truth.

Morrigan snorted, clearly disagreeing with Levi's statement. "The vision only showed that no matter who, if they find themselves cornered like a wild animal, they will resort to their basest urges and temptations."

"Which clearly indicates that _Saarebas_ are not to be allowed any mean of freedom," muttered a sullen Sten. "It's defiance against any natural order. A beast will always be a beast, no matter what it does to change its place in the world." He stated.

"You're not making any sense, my dear Sten. I see myself as a free spirit, though if mages are weak enough to surrender themselves to an order like the templars, then they really don't deserve freedom. I don't see you acting against me and for that matter I'm definitely not a wild beast," Morrigan argued.

The hornless qunari looked at her with calculating and somewhat detached eyes. His eyes roamed her body not like a man admires a woman, but rather like someone keeps constant vigilance on a useful but highly dangerous weapon. "The example you propose is different, _Bas Saarebas_. If needed be, I shall perform the duty demanded to all _Arvaarad _and purge your tainted words from this world, should you fall to the demons." He warned her dispassionately.

"Well, then, let us hope such thing doesn't happen," was Morrigan's sarcastic response to that.

As the group rested a bit, they regaled their dried throats with some water and bantered between them but Neria noticed the demon's body had already liquefied, leaving a beautifully crafted staff behind.

Eager to get her hands on a powerful-looking staff, she bent down and picked it up. Her eyes widened when she felt the staff pulse slightly. It was noticeably cold at her touch but she could also feel the slightest presence of demon taint, most likely because it had been in possession of the demon for quite some time. She wasn't sure if the barest traces of demon taint she could feel could affect her in any way but it was too much of an opportunity to let it pass. Who knew the kind of boost this staff could give her spells? Therefore, Neria resolutely switched the staff she'd been carrying and replaced it with Winter's Breath, which she assumed was the staff's name as she'd seen it carved in one side of the staff.

"New weapon?" A voice to her left suddenly said and she had to bite her lips so as not to scream. That did not deter her from jumping in fright, though.

"Naruto! Don't sneak up on me like that!" She hissed at him. "I almost threw a Shock at you!"

"Ow, no big deal, I could've dodged it. Still, is that your new weapon?" He asked curiously.

Pushing aside a strand of hair, she nodded. "Yes, Winter's Breath. It was about time to get myself a better staff than my last one," she said as she held up said staff so Naruto could see it. "And since this one was here I decided to claim ownership over it. It's free charge." She said with a slight grin, to which Naruto gave one of his own.

"I like how you think, boss."

"Call me Neria, Naruto. We're between friends, after all." She reminded him but then he shot a dubious look at Morrigan and Alistair, who were, once again, bickering on some subject while Lelina tried to act as the peacekeeper. Sten and Fang simply tried to ignore them. His look wasn't very subtle, though, and Neria caught him red-handed.

"Yes, well, mostly friends," amended the former Circle mage with a smile. "Anyway, tell the others to finish loitering around and prepare to go to the upper lever."

In less than a minute, with their weapons cleaned and ready, they proceeded to the next level through the staircase. Neria, who was in the lead, literally ran into another corpse and unable to contain herself, let out a girly shriek, which immediately caused her cheeks to flare up in embarrassment. In her defense, she had never been able to see a close up of a zombie and its open mouth, with all the crooked and black teeth, acted as a disturbing image stuck in her mind.

Thankfully, she still managed to dodge the sloppy punch sent her way and quickly backed several steps away from the corpses. With a shout of "_Anaam esam Qun!" _Sten charged past her towards the corpses, immediately beheading one. Morrigan and Leliana made quick work of another one while Alistair used his shield to bash the head of the last corpse, which looked more like a skeleton than a corpse. Funnily enough, the skull literally flew through the room, thus killing it. Naruto felt a little disappointed he didn't get to kill zombies this time. Oh well, perhaps next time.

The room, they realized, served basically as a chapel to any devout Warden who wished to pray under the watchful, stony stare of a statue of Andraste, something which Leliana pointed out, happily glowing with the thought that even in such a gloomy and dreary place like this they followed the Andrastian religion. Neria didn't comment that she would definitely get the statue down to one of the inferior levels. As beautiful as it was, she really didn't think it should be on the level reserved to officials.

Pushing aside thoughts about décor, she inspected the room. Aside from the chapel, the only other thing that stood out was the three doors. One, however, was protected by some kind of magical barrier and the others were in opposite directions. The group agreed to take the easiest and quickest route and left the protected door for last, although the potential treasure behind it would surely be much better.

After exploring the right door, which led to another room full of bunkbeds, they decided to investigate the door to the left. It led to a room with another fireplace, this one containing fire as well. However, the wall blocked part of the room from Neria's sight and when she advanced she received a very unpleasant surprise when she discovered the room was occupied by someone, a living woman, with her back turned to them.

"Step no further!" The woman's voice came from the unknown person but it sounded too hoarse, too unnatural to be right. However, the reason for her voice problem was answered when she turned around.

"Well, shit."

Naruto's comment described perfectly the situation they were in. The woman was Sophia Dryden but she had obviously been possessed by a demon. It was very reasonable to assume that Sophia had been dead for quite a long time if the decomposition process of the skin in her face and her milky eyes was anything to go by. Neria almost took a step back but only the knowledge that one had to gain a position of power when dealing with demons prevented her from showing any weaknesses.

Fang, however, growled threateningly at Sophia's possessed body.

"Get this annoyance away from me! This one would speak with you." She -no, the demon- snapped.

Still they needed confirmation. "Who or rather, what are you?" demanded Neria with a look of disgust.

"This one is the Dryden. Commander. Sophia. All these things." Her –its- voice even was double–layered. Below Sophia's distorsioned voice, Neria could make out a male voice that spoke slightly off-tune with Sophia's.

"Grandmother?" breathed out Levi in terror but the demon possessing Sophia outright ignored him.

"You have slain many of the demon ilk to get here. This one would propose a deal," offered the demon with a suspiciously soft voice.

Neria sighed. "Levi, your great-great-grandmother is possessed, as you can see."

"Either that or she has really let herself go," he answered with a surprising strength of character as he shook his head.

"You speak of a deal. However, why should I even trust you? Why not simply kill you?" Neria asked the demon. "After all, we have the numerical advantage."

"Strike me down if my offer offends. What is a woman-child compared to a Warden?"

"Neria, you can't be seriously thinking about this. Sophia is clearly dead. Nothing of her remains only the body and the demon." Leliana argued, clearly agitated by the demon's presence.

"Control your fledglings, Warden! This one has seen Dryden's memories –so many tantalizing places she visited. This one would explore the world herself. For me to be free, into the old mage tower you go and destroy. In return, this one seals the Veil. No more demons, no more enemies. Your Peak would be safe. Just let this one go into the world." It offered.

Neria crossed her arms over her chest. The demon was really stupid if it thought she would agree to a deal with it. However, they needed information about how the seal the Veil and about Levi's quest. She would humor the demon, at least for the time being.

"I'm here on behalf of Levi. Tell me about Sophia Dryden." The blonde mage demanded to know.

However, the demon refused to talk unless its task was completed. It was actually quite the conundrum when she thought about it. If they let it go, it would feed on people indefinitely until someone managed to strike it down. On the other hand, it they didn't take the deal, more and more demons would pour out from this fissure in the Veil.

"What am I destroying, anyway?"

"The magics, all moving things, the stone itself if you have the power! Something inside keeps my kind locked away."

"Before I make a deal… you tell Levi anything he wants to know about Sophia." Neria demanded.

"Warden, my family has been looking for answers for over a century. But not like this."

"Neria, please, you're a mage. You should know better than most here that making deals with demons is never a good thing." Alistair pleaded.

"The Veil must be mended, Alistair. If you're so adamant about not making the deal, give me another option instead of lecturing me!" The mage snapped, clearly furious with him.

Naruto then voiced his thoughts on the matter. "Although, I don't like the way we're forced into this deal, it seems it's the best option. Still a bad option, mind you, but the best one. I hate to make deals with demons but I'm with you, Neria." He assured and she only nodded at him. He didn't need words to see how grateful she was for his support.

"Agreed. Any questions Levi has of the Dryden will be answered."

"I'm off to break the tower, then," she said through gritted teeth. Oh, how she hated to accept the deal…

The demon showed its pleasure with her decision but Neria had already left, walking briskly past the others. Their dealings –her dealings- with the demon had left a bitter taste in her mouth and the later she saw it again, the better. Rationally, she knew that it was a deal far better than anything they could have hoped for but she still felt revulsion for agreeing into helping it. How many innocents would die because of her choice?

It was something she could not accept and still she kept on walking away from the demon.

"Neria, I…"

"Not. One. Word. Leliana. I'm not in the mood for your lectures." She rudely cut the bard off and almost felt the smugness radiating off Morrigan from behind her at the cutting response.

The magic barrier was now gone and they finally could carry on unhindered. The door led to a bridge connecting to the tower. It was especially impressing the fact it was raised high up in the air and only supported from its both sides with the tower and the actual keep. If nothing else, it gave a beautiful perspective of the snowy landscape.

However, the group didn't notice any of that, as several more corpses were waiting for them to show up. Unfortunately for them, Neria used the corpses as a way of venting her anger and frustration off her chest and ultimately destroyed them with a savage combination of magic and amateur street brawler hand to hand combat, not caring in the least the wounds the raised corpses inflicted on her. It was a small price to pay to regain some semblance of composure.

After dealing with the group of walking dead, they proceeded into the actual tower. However, the first room was unremarkable. It seemed they used it as some kind of storage room, if the crates with dust on them were anything to go by. It was the next room which showed the most promise. Of course, they had to deal with another small party of Warden corpses but thanks to Neria's skilled usage of paralysis' glyphs it was mostly hacking at unmoving enemies. After resting a bit to let everyone catch their breath, they were able to explore a bit better the room. It was obviously another library, although all the shelves showed many gaps in them and Neria doubted that those that still remained could resist, unless handled _very_ carefully.

A big tome lying on the floor picked her curiosity. From the way the writer spoke and talked about magical matters, Neria considered it was probable that the tome belonged to Avernus. It looked to be a diary, a journal of sorts about an experiment he had been investigating on at some point.

"_Day 32. The subject is not responding to the stimuli. Testing the pain threshold has uncovered nothing. Only three subjects are left. Day 82, if only I could reproduce last night's extraordinary success. Electricity in only a catalyst. Blood has true power, blood is the key. Day 97, energy and blood. Repeated applications have duplicated the results. I conjecture that success can be achieved alchemically. But there are no more subjects left. If only I had one more, or a dozen. The things I could do…"_

Neria immediately knew Avernus had been experimenting on live subjects, but were they willing? And for what purpose? They sounded as if Avernus had been treading on the fine line between simple experimenting and torture. However, Naruto broke her rather disturbing train of thought.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. All this fighting has made me hungry," Naruto mused then idly, with some agreeing with him. "I just hope we can get to the camp soon. Bodhan makes a killing lamb stew. Way better than Alistair's, in any case," he said with a grin. However, that's where he screwed up as they all looked angered at him, or sending death glares in his direction.

"And you didn't think about mentioning it… why?"

Naruto just laughed, clearly amused by their reaction. "Well, I actually thought about telling you, but since you were all so busy complaining about Alistair's cooking skills and trying not to die poisoned because of them, you never noticed me and Fang enjoying a real lamb stew with Bodhan and Sandal."

Neria sent a mock-glare at Fang, who had whined reproachfully at Naruto for pointing out his involvement in the whole mess. "You traitor, you didn't tell me?" Fang just tried to win her over with an apologetic bark and the dreaded puppy eyes. She sighed with a fond smile. "Oh, alright, you overgrown baby, I just can't stay mad at you. Next time, warn me so I don't need to fear dying by intoxicated food, though."

"What is this, pick on Alistair day?" Said man scowled.

Naruto, however, almost cursed. The dog looked too smug for his own good and the look he sent his way… Seriously, were Fang human, he would be sending him right now a "you're on your own, now" grin.

Mabaris, how he hated them.

However, Naruto couldn't even begin to think about getting back to Fang because Neria decided to address him in that moment.

"Oh, and Naruto? Don't think I forgot about you. We'll talk once we're back in camp." The sweet, sweet tone she used made it clear what his fate was.

'_I'm so fucking dead… Note to self: Need to run like a bitch once we reach camp. Away from Neria.'_

"Anyway, now that we've had this _revealing_ conversation… Let's finish, this."

With a last look at the ominous vial filled with what looked suspiciously like blood, Neria finally led them to the last room. It was a vast one, more along the lines of a workroom than anything else, though it was decorated with several old tapestries. Neria recognized it as they had something similar in the Tower. However, the cages in both sides of the room confirmed the disturbing image Avernus's journal portrayed and the former Circle mage had to fight to keep down the bile that threatened to rise to her mouth.

At the other side of the room stood an elevated portion of the ground, connected to the level below through three small staircases. It was probably used by Avernus as a means to oversee the work his mage apprentices were carrying out. After all, he'd been the leader of the Warden mages, from what they gleamed from the visions.

And there was a hunched human form, shifting through pages on a ridiculously huge book. The mage –the staff strapped to his back was a dead giveaway- had been aware of their presence since they had entered the peak and so, finally decided to address them.

"I hear you… Don't disrupt my concentration." His voice was surprisingly clear and strong for someone who had been living in Soldier's Peak for close to two centuries with no real person to talk to, unless you counted Sophia. Whatever was left of her, anyway.

However, his baldness and the sunken, bleary eyes he sported were clear signs of his age. He looked at them with just a touch of detached interest and directed his gaze at Neria, who he recognized as the leader.

"Even now the demons seek to replenish their numbers. Are you to thank for this welcome if temporary imbalance?" He asked as he walked down the staircase.

"Yes, well, it was rather hard not to, since they kept coming," Neria sarcastically replied. "But, you Avernus… How are you still alive? You must be close to two centuries old. Surely, you're by now one of the oldest men walking right now upon the lands of Thedas."

"Indeed, I am Avernus. However, I am only just alive. I have little time left. Ten years, at least. Fifteen, if I'm lucky. I've been having dreams again. Terrible ones," he muttered but Neria caught it and exchanged a concerned glance with Alistair.

"Your dreams most likely are due to the Blight happening in Thedas." The ex-templar informed him and Avernus adopted a disbelieving look but his face immediately set on a grim face.

"A Blight, you say? Most in our time believed us to be old legends that should have disappeared into the sands of time and now, time confirms we were right all along. It is not an especially warming thought. Tell me, this Blight… Is it a big one?"

"It started in The Korcari Wilds some months ago and I'd say it's growing at an alarming rate since we've been encountering darksapwn around the country, though they are focused in the southern lands… for now. The current king was killed in the battle of Ostagar when we tried to push them back, betrayed by his most trusted advisor and now we're being persecuted, accused of regicide, a crime we didn't commit."

"When the politicians play, everyone else dances to their tune," Avernus sentenced with a shake of his head and Neria couldn't help but agree with his assessment. "However, only the fact that you're here already proves me the Wardens returned to Ferelden after our exile. When did you return? How many of you are left?" He asked, eager to know the fate of his order.

"Wait, how do you even know we're Grey Wardens? Well, only two of us, actually?" Naruto asked the old mage, curiosity written all over his face.

"A Grey Warden can sense the darkspawn taint. However, with time, he or she can learn to differentiate between a darkspawn and a fellow Grey Warden. The feeling is similar but different altogether. Of course, the skill is developed as years pass, but it's as much a matter of skill and talent as it is of time. It is also a skill influenced by the distance. Right now, the woman in armor, who I assume is your leader, and the blond man with the shield are the only Grey Wardens I can sense nearby." Avernus explained, reverting for a moment to his old teacher persona.

Alistair answered then his earlier question as a shadow passed over his eyes. "The Grey Wardens returned to Ferelden close to two decades ago, thanks to the late King Maric's efforts, who understood the need of our existence. King Cailan, who fell at the Battle of Ostagar, was his son. Us two are the last remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden."

"It seems our luck hasn't improved much as the years passed, then," Avernus replied with a sorrowful look. "I did not think I would live so much just to see our order run through the murky mud again."

"Careful. This… man has dabbled in matters forbidden by the Maker. He may look frail, but do not trust him." Leliana warned but Neria shot her a withering glare.

"I know enough not to blindly trust him but you forget I'm a Warden too, Leliana, and a mage like him. While I don't like the idea, if becoming a blood mage helps us go through this Blight alive and save all the people who most probably will never know what we did for them, then I will gladly become one. And if you hadn't noticed, he still has a sharp mind and is a Grey Warden. He won't suddenly turn crazy and attack us. Unless we do attack him first, of course." She heatedly said.

Neria's declaration caused shocked reactions from Leliana and Alistair. Fang only barked encouragingly to his master while Morrigan looked at her with a certain mix between approval and support. Sten simply kept his thoughts to himself behind his stony façade and Naruto was merely observing her, judging her words.

"Neria, blood magic…!" Before Leliana could begin her rant, though, Neria shouted a loud "Enough!" that shut her up.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Leliana. You can disapprove of my actions, but never tell me what to do. _Never. _I you don't like it, you can walk away but I'm the leader for a reason. If any of you wishes to challenge the leadership Alistair put so readily on my shoulders, then say so, but don't question my judgment, because the last decision is mine to take. Take it or leave. And for that matter, do not bring the Maker into this. I will not systematically cross any option I have just because of some god I don't even believe in." Neria tore into her with a deadly voice. However, even if she defended the old Warden mage, she wouldn't let herself forget the atrocious experiments he'd conducted.

Neria's voice had been soft, even but in that moment Naruto clearly understood why Neria was the leader. She had a certain charm that it was unnoticeable if you only talked to her for a few times. However, she was the stone. She was the reed. Nothing could make her bend to anyone's wishes unless it was necessary for her to back down. Her voice carried an inner strength Naruto few times he'd ever heard in someone. And in that moment, Naruto knew that, if nothing else, he would accompany Neria to the end of the road. However, he made a mental note to _never_ truly anger the petite elf. He wasn't sure if he would be able to survive the potential trashing from Neria. Damn, first Sakura and now Neria?

'_Kami, I just can't get a break!'_

"So, the Maker told you that, did he?" Since he had been the one insulted rather bluntly in the face by Leliana, Naruto couldn't fault the sarcastic anger in Avernus' voice, "Short-sighted men have forbidden my research, not a god." He scoffed mockingly at the redhead." I shall not speak more of this matter."

Then he addressed Neria once again, although with far more friendliness. "Why are you here, then? What is your intent?"

"As you might have gathered, we are here to reclaim Soldier's Peak for the Wardens. If nothing else, it will give us a safe place no one will ever think of investigating. I do have many questions for you regarding the events that happened here but Soldier's Peak must be rid of its plague of demons."

"Reclaiming the Peak for the Wardens is a very admirable goal. To achieve it, however, the demons must be cut off forever and it should be our only priority," Avernus agreed.

"But what about your research, eh? What do you have to say to that?" Alistair inquired with an accusing tone in his voice.

Avernus just shrugged carelessly, but saw fit to defend himself from the accusations. "They were necessary, boy. Any tool, any iota of information that could give us the upper hand in our long-standing war against the darkspawn was justified. As a Warden, you should know that." He chided his junior fellow Warden.

Alistair was not amused in the least, stubborn as he was. "Justified? Having to relieve yourself after an eight-long walk is necessary. But there's no excuse for summoning demons!"

"How charming, my fellow Warden. However, you seem to purposely deflect the quid of the question. The Joining itself is a blood magic ritual of the highest caliber. What does it tell you that we need the blood of the blighted creatures to become what we are, the very thing they fear most? Weisshaupt fortress is in the Anderfels, in Western Tevinter. Did you never make the connection between Tevinter magisters and the Grey Wardens? As entranced as they were in blood magic, is it too hard to assume they helped in the creation of the method?" Avernus snidely asked.

Meanwhile, Neria listened. Soaking on the knowledge of the order she now belonged, silently pondering them. Avernus' words were having a much deeper impact than anyone could even realize.

"But it's blood magic! Nothing is worth it."

"Foolish child! I had seen all my friends die in front of me for something I did before you were even a wasted strain of sperm in your mother's womb! What would you know about the Wardens? Cease your romantic idealization of our role in this world! We are Grey Wardens. To save the world, nothing is forbidden to us, even if it means we have to soak our hands with blood. We must cast our morals to the trashcan when fighting the darkspawn, for they will not show us mercy! The populace may try to forget us, to sweep us under the rug like dirt but we are those that stand proud in the shadows of the world only to protect it!" Avernus snapped, clearly incensed by Alistair's moralistic views.

Alistair, unable to accept the fact that someone from his order would stoop so low as to use blood magic, glared at the old Warden but he had nothing on Avernus, whose glare was mighty impressive. He'd had two centuries to perfect it, after all. Alistair finally backed down from the stand-off but then stormed out of the workroom.

"Alas, it pains me to see someone of my order be so narrow-minded. But you…" he trailed off as he glanced at Neria. "You have a certain fire in you, Warden Neria. You actually remind me of Sophia, before she was possessed by the demon." He muttered as his eyes adopted a faraway look.

"Avernus, tell me. How did you survive this long?"

"The Chantry foolishly forbids blood magic. It is a dangerous thing, sure, but no more so than a sword or an arrow to the eye. **(1)** There are so many secrets to uncover… My body started to decay but I found ways to extend my lifespan. But that can only go so far."

"I see, we'll have to talk about this more in depth later. However, Sophia's great-great-grandson, Levi, brought me here. Tell us what happened here."

"And what good would it do? The tyrant Arland's long dead. As is our noble co-conspirators and grand rebellion. Sophia's corpse may talk and walk but she, too, is gone."

"But you must have known that summoning so many demons was not the best idea. And what about Sophia, did she agree with it?"

"It was survival, nothing more, nothing else. I spent months researching with but so many variables… And as for Sophia's involvement, she gave the order."

"But master mage, uh, ser. Sophia… is there any proof that she was a hero?" Levi asked with hope shining in his eyes.

"So, the boy who heeded my call is a Dryden. Oh, the cosmos does have a sense of humor." He chuckled amusedly. "But, to answer your question… Sophia was the best of us. Brave, charismatic… Utterly devoted to the fight and yet we lost. We fought against a tyrant, determined to stand against his cruelty, but proof? There's none."

"I'm sorry Levi. Seems there's no proof in the end. However, Avernus… Sophia, I mean, the demon possessing Sophia's body, told me that it could repair the tear in the Veil. Can you do it, too? I really don't want to keep a deal with a demon," Neria said with distaste.

"Of course, it was me who laid the summoning circles. I know exactly how to undo them. The demons will try to stop us from our goal, we must be prepared. Come. We must go to the great hall, where I caused so much damage long ago."

Avernus moved out with a surprising agility for someone who had been secluded in a workroom for the better part of his life. They picked Alistair up along the way, but it was obvious he would stay near Avernus only until the situation had been resolved. The way he glowered at the old blood mage was telltale enough.

The group followed Avernus to the great hall. Most of them were having a feeling of anticipation. Whatever happened, it would be over soon, for better or worse. As soon as they reached the great hall, they were confronted by the demon possessing Sophia's corpse.

"He lives! You were supposed to kill him!" It snarled.

"Yes, well. You'll forgive me if I don't hold our bargain. After all, who would trust a demon?" Neria replied.

"After all these bitter years of hiding, I will put an end to this madness! Warden Neria, help me now to strike down this demon!"

With an incoherent roar, Sophia charged at them, effectively giving the opening salvo to the fight. Aided by some more undead bodies, the demon inside Sophia's body tried to gut Neria with her sword but the swing was extremely sloppy at best and their leader avoided the attack stepping aside without breaking a sweat.

Sophia Dryden, Warden-Commander of Ferelden, had been a strong powerful woman, politically and physically speaking. She'd had the cunning needed for the shady game of politics at court and still was able to defeat any veteran warrior without even trying sometimes. She had been a prodigy in many things. However, she became a Grey Warden and her fate was decided.

The demon possessing her had access to all of her memories and that included every grueling lesson in arms' practice, every tiresome spar. Sophia Dryden had been a fearsome fighter at her peak and that was a trait imprinted in her memories. However, Sophia's body had been put in the blurred line between life and death for too long and that had taken its toll on her body. Once, lean and muscled; now, decayed and atrophied. Muscle memory could get you only so far and therefore, it wasn't surprising when they finally killed the demon after a short fight.

"Good. With so few demons to protect her, the demon was no challenge for us. Now, quick, to the main hall."

The main hall was silent when they arrived. Well, as silent as it could get with the lighting around the Fade portal, anyway.

"Anything specific we should know?"

Avernus nodded as he explained. "I will unravel the summoning circles I drew so long ago. The demons will try to stop us but I will be too busy keeping the magic fields stable to fend them off. As such, it falls on you the task to dispatch them as they appear while I work. I already feel them. They're coming!"

As he rushed to the first summoning circle, the party readied themselves for the tough fight ahead. Neria quickly laid some paralysis' glyphs around the portal for the demons. Wave after wave fell upon them yet they held strong. The power of the demons was nothing compared to their combined might. Rage demons nor Ash Wraiths could break the solid defense Leliana and Neria provided while the others delivered death to their numbers. The close combat fighters fought as a surprisingly well-greased team, back to back, protecting the each other from the demons, while Morrigan played with her enemies.

The blonde mage watched carefully the battlefield as her companions fought while continuously casting the few health and mana restoration spells she knew, as well as several support spells. With each wave defeated, Avernus undid a circle, working swiftly but sure of his own work. As a mage, Neria couldn't help but feel slightly awed at the magics he commanded. Blood mage he may be, but his magic vibrated with a force she had never seen. It spoke volumes of his actual magical strength to be able to undo the summoning circles all the while avoiding the demons as he stood still.

Finally, the demonic outbreak seemed to wane out and they all breathed out in relief. The fight, although successful, had been a grueling and tiresome one and they were all ready to rest up a bit. However, Neria knew it still wasn't over when a shiver rand down her spine.

Turning around, she saw a Desire demon step out of the portal, her purple flesh and horned scalp always catching Neria's attention. If she had come out alone to face them, it could only mean she was powerful enough the defeat them all. That or she was confident enough to win the fight to the point of arrogance. Neria feared it was the first option. The others still had not noticed the demon and she locked gazes with Neria. Giving her a sultry, seductive grin, she sauntered -glided- towards her, swaying her hips sensually, her eyes locked into hers all the while and Neria knew it would try to win her over with some sort of a deal.

Using all of her willpower, Neria focused on ignoring the nagging desire to talk to the demon, to see what she wanted. She knew it was the demon's allure trying to cloud her mind, to make her more agreeable to a deal with the demon. As her whole body betrayed her mind, reacting longingly to the demon's presence, she finally understood why so many senior mages thought the Desire demons to be potentially more dangerous than even Pride demons.

She, however, was stubborn, if nothing else, and it was the only thing that allowed the young mage to ignore the siren's calls from the demon. "Desire demon!" She shouted and she could see with some satisfaction the Desire demon's face shift from sultry and confident to irritated and angered. With that, whatever spell or allure she was trying to cast on Neria was lost as she decided to engage them in combat.

The party rushed to grab their weapons but they had been caught off guard and the demon, just as Neria had feared, proved to be dangerously powerful. With a mere careless wave of her hand, Leliana was blown away, impacting into a wall with the sound of cracking bones, such had been the force of the attack. Alistair rushed at her with his sword drawn and tried to slay her but she effortlessly evaded each and every one of his attacks with a small smirk plastered on her face.

Sten came to Alistair's aid with a swing from his broadsword in a low lunge attack but the demon created a small compressed shield, making the sword bounce off. She let out a thrilling, tantalizing laugh as she toyed with them. It was painfully obvious she was letting them see they couldn't get her, not even once. She knew it and they knew it. After a while, she grew bored and swatted Alistair aside as if he was a small fly. Sten showed surprisingly great reflexes and jumped away before she could do the same, while trying to regain some breath.

However, with that, the Desire demon's attention was free to focus solely on Neria. She grinned at the mage, licking her lips as she stalked towards her, like a hunter finally advancing on their prey.

"You." The demon said and Neria startled. Her voice was almost a purr and it spoke of forbidden knowledge, pleasure like no other… "You sing to us, the Fade thrums every time you step in it. You've attracted quite the attention, pretty thing." She said with a tempting smile. "And I can see why now. It's such a magnificent bonfire… I can only imagine how it would feel in the Fade." She commented as she sauntered over her. Neria, however, only heard those words as if she was far, far away. The continued pressure the demon kept on her was affecting and she could feel her mental defenses crumbling down and she knew she was slipping, falling…

"Neria, get a fucking grip of yourself!" Naruto shouted as he moved forward to engage the demon, Morrigan aiding him with a look of deep concentration.

Naruto's yell, as rude as it had been, served its purpose, which was to kick Neria into action. She blinked several times and picked her staff up with trembling hands. She started casting support spells after emptying another lyrium potion but it was almost not needed. Naruto was going toe to toe with the demon like it was nothing. He matched her speed easily and even had the galls to make fun of her some times, like grabbing her tail and tugging or some idiotic thing like that, laughing all the while. Using Sten as a second support fighter, he drew out a dagger and started to dance around her, taunting her, cutting her in a myriad of places in a deadly dance. It was downright reckless and Neria wanted to give him a piece of her mind but he actually was holding his own against her.

After a while, it seemed Naruto's combat skills had gotten through the demon's defense because now she was acting like a cornered animal. She raised a magical barrier but then Naruto pulled out another surprise, this one even more shocking than his amazing physical abilities.

Deep in concentration, he extended his hand, palm facing the ceiling and _something _appeared in his palm in less than a second as he avoided a swipe directed at his windpipe. A swirling, spiraling orb of pure, unadulterated energy.

'It's_ beautiful_.' Neria thought, awed at such technique. She wasn't aware pure magic could be molded! But even so, did that mean Naruto was a mage, too?

She didn't have time to ponder the new information Naruto had unknowingly given her because he chose that moment to charge at the demon. The Desire demon, safe in the knowledge of her shield being impenetrable, didn't even move from where she stood. It turned out to be her downfall.

Naruto slammed the orb against the demon's shield shouting, "Rasengan!" The shield put up a token resistance for a few seconds before exploding as it was overpowered by the stronger attack. The demon had survived through the explosion but, too stunned at what had happened, she didn't manage to react in time before Naruto buried ruthlessly the dagger in her throat, just as Avernus finished his task.

Although Neria had many questions for Naruto, questions which she would demand the answers of, they set to healing their members. Neria used her little knowledge in the healing school to fix Leliana and Alistair up as best as she could Leliana and Alistair. The blond ex-templar had gotten off it easy: only a mild concussion to the head. It would probably form a little bump for a time but nothing time could cure. That or a better mage at healing magic. Still, she healed him with the only healing spell she knew and left him resting until he woke up.

However, Leliana was a bit more difficult to deal with. She had a cracked rib. Thankfully, it was not broken but she wasn't skilled enough cure her completely, so she took care of her smaller wounds and bruises and Sten bandaged Leliana's torso, using his experience as _Sten _in the _Antaam _as best as he could. He looked a little uncomfortable in doing so, though he didn't say anything.

After they took care of their own wounds, they took some more water from their canteens. Avernus, having finished checking that the circles were fully undone, walked up to Neria.

"It's over. The Veil is strong, now. Strong enough so that demons won't be able to cross through, at least. However, what of me, now? Will you leave me to experiment in peace?"

Neria signaled Avernus to a secluded corner of the main hall. She wanted to discuss some things with Avernus and some privacy was needed for that.

"Your experiments, Avernus, are something I'm conflicted about. Your methods were horrifying enough and I can't believe you experimented on your fellow Wardens. Truthfully, they made me sick." She held up a hand when she saw Avernus was going to argue. "Wait until I'm done saying what's on my mind, Avernus. Your experiments were unethical and they sickened me. However, it's the past and we can't change it. Rather, you still haven't told me the purpose of the experiments." She inquired.

"The darkspawn taint. It's something the demons don't know about. It's alien to them and it has power. The blood contains something powerful within it and I wanted to discover the true potential in it. The hinted powers I saw –they could make the Wardens even more powerful!"

Neria tilted her head to the side, actually curious about his research. "How so?"

"We ingest the darkspawns' blood as a means to make ourselves partially impervious to the darkspawn taint. My research aimed to discover how to unleash the true power in the blood to make us stronger, faster… In short words, deadlier to our enemies. Our stamina would be improved, the same for our self-healing. Adding the results to the formula used in the Joining should improve survival ratios in a notable margin, around seventy per cent, but as you can understand most are merely theories, since I wasn't able to test them out. These are the results that should occur, should someone ingest the fruits of my research, but one can never be too sure with this kind of things. It is, after all, a matter of trial and error."

Neria was impressed. If Avernu's research did only half the things he promised, they would get a much needed power boost. "I see… If your research does all of that, then I suppose I can't complain. Is there anything else?"

Avernus leaned against the table, with a smile on his face. It was obvious he was very proud of his work. "Actually, yes, there are some other aspects left. As you must know, every Grey Warden must answer what we name the 'Calling'."

Neria nodded. Alistair had told her everything he knew about the Wardens. The Calling was not something she wanted to experience in a _long_ time.

"Good. Sophia and I thought thirty years at best were too few for a Grey Warden. With the augmented abilities, nothing short of a crippling wound would stop a Warden but the Calling was a barrier to that goal. Therefore, we wanted to eliminate the problem altogether. With time, I managed to prolong the time before a Wardens hears the Call. I'd say around twenty or thirty more years. However, the Calling is something no one can stop. At least, to my knowledge."

"That's… actually impressive, Avernus." Neria breathed out. He'd managed to discover so much…

"Humility doesn't have a place in this. I know I've made great breakthroughs during my research. How do you think I've managed to stave off my own Calling for so long?" The blood mage rhetorically asked. "True, I've lived so long thanks to a combination of my research _and _blood magic, but to non-mage Warden, it should let them have a somewhat normal lifespan."

"I can't believe you accomplished so much. But… were your methods really ethical? What drove you to experiment on your fellow Wardens? That's something I can't look away from." Neria warned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Avernus sighed and in that moment he looked very much the two centuries of his age. He sagged in one of the chairs, staring at the ground. "Even if the experiments were necessary, I admit… it pained me to do it. They were fellow Wardens and friends; although the Chantry will try to tell you a different story, not every blood mage is inherently evil. The only comfort I had through the experiments was that their sacrifice would not be in vain, that their deaths would help save so many more lives. I wanted to give a semblance of meaning, of reason, to their deaths."

Neria looked at him and saw him for what he was: a lonely man, forced to do heinous tasks in order to achieve an ideal. He'd lived with his thoughts and regrets for most of his live, with no one to turn to and get them out of his chest. It didn't absolve him not even a bit but it let Neria understand Avernus a little more. He wasn't a mindless butcher as he had seemed in the beginning. Who was she to judge on events that happened when she was not even alive? An idea started to form in Neria's head.

"I understand, Avernus. Is there anything else?"

"… Yes, there is… one thing left. Sophia specifically asked me to add it into my research task. Female Wardens are usually barren. Well, not technically. There's a low chance of pregnancy in an union between a Warden and a non-Warden, and even lower chance for two Wardens to birth a child. Sophia felt robbed of her desire to have a baby when she was told this information. She had always wanted to have a little daughter. A little Sophia to spoil rotten, free of Arland's tyranny, she told me once. Therefore, when she rose to Warden-Commander, she ordered me to find ways to break the female Warden's infertility."

Neria gasped, wide eyed. She had hated the fact that the decision of having children had been taken from her. True, she was only nineteen and she really didn't think about things such as romance or babies back in the Tower, but as they say, you only truly miss something when it's taken away from you. "Did… did you success?"

"Why, yes, and with very promising data. As you can imagine, I can't say for certain because I didn't have people to find out if Sophia's request was met. But in theory, it should increase by a vast margin the possibility for a female Warden of being impregnated after intercourse in her period."

"Really? I mean, for sure?"

"Yes, of course. I was very methodical in my research. According to my research, the chance of a baby being born from two Wardens increased to a fifty percent. A huge success compared to the previous five per cent. However, a female Warden in a relationship with a non-Warden has a ratio of eight five percent of being impregnated."

"Wow, it's almost too good to be true." Neria said, a little disbelievingly.

"I assure you, my friend. It's very much true. My research was produced in liquid, meant to be ingested orally. It's in my library, on the table."

"Wait…, you mean, that little vial there? That was the product of your research?" She couldn't suppress the amused snort. "And we passed by it… Tell me; is there any chance of _me _taking the potion?"

"But of course! You're a fellow Warden after all and only one can drink safely the potion. Without dying in horrible torment, I mean." He amended rather sinisterly.

Neria simply sent him a deadpan stare. "Ha ha, how funny."

Resolute to get a necessary boost, Neria went back to the library, followed by Avernus.

"To thing that such a small thing could help immensely the Grey Wardens…" Neria muttered as she stared at the small vial.

"Indeed. One can just imagine how many more secrets we could uncover…"

"Well… I'm going to drink it now." She said as she grabbed the vial. She didn't want to think about the possible outcomes of her actions. Avernus had taken the potion and had survived but she didn't know the possible effects it could have on her.

But she had to try. Every night, the archdemon appeared in her dreams and the corrupted beast terrified her. Its presence was overbearing and tainted and she felt sick every time she saw it. However, she knew she wasn't powerful enough to defeat it. Alistair had made abundantly clear by now that he was not a leader and Grey Wardens were the only ones capable of slaying the archdemons.

She knew there was a high chance of her dying, but she wouldn't allow herself to die. Not after all the things she had seen and experienced, things she had only read in old, dusty books when she was in the Tower. She had so much to see, so much to learn. So much to experience. She wouldn't be a mere footnote on some history book.

And so, pushing all doubts aside, Neria drank the potion in three quick gulps.

The potion had such a disgusting taste that she almost threw up on the floor but she managed to clamp down and swallow it all. However, the potion turned out to be fast-acting as she felt herself choking for several moments. Falling to her knees, Neria gasped for air as all her body flared in pain. Every nerve in her body screamed as she trashed in pain.

It was a torturing experience to go through but even then she managed to form a pained smile. It was worth it. She could just feel a hint of understanding, just as Avernus had said it would happen. He was right, blood had power. The possibilities were endless.

"Here, drink this." A surprisingly gentle Avernus lifted her from the ground and handed her a glass of water. It was icy, no doubt the product of melting ice, but in that moment, she couldn't have cared less. Neria almost inhaled the water in her rush to get rid of the foul aftertaste.

"Thanks, that was…" she trailed off, trying to find a suitable word.

"The vilest thing you've ever tasted, am I right?"

"Eh, I wouldn't have put it like that but… yes."

"There is no sense on sugarcoating it. I know it does have a foul taste. I was unable to change the flavor but even if I could, I wouldn't. The pain is a reminder of our harsh trials as Wardens. There is no gain with no pain."

"I'm just glad it's over." She groaned. "Say, are there more vials of these? Alistair could use the power boost."

"Yes, there are several more, although I doubt your friend will be willing to use the product of my research."

Neria simply gave him a devious smile. "Oh, trust me. I can be_ very_ persuasive when I want to be."

With another vial of the enhancing potion safely tucked in her potions pouch, Avernus brought her to the Warden Commander's quarters. He'd told her he had a last gift for them, since they were currently outlaws.

Curious about Avernus' supposed gift, she was actually surprised when, after taking down the portrait with the woman wearing a tiara, he kicked hard a dislodged brick of the hearth. Her bemusement turned into shock when the part of the wall that had been previously covered by the portrait slid away to reveal two chest, one significantly bigger than the other.

"In bigger chest there are several small leather bags containing a rather big sum of money. We found the cavity by chance one day Sophia was especially furious and we discovered the money. We suspected it was built by Warden Commander Asturian and hid it in case he ever needed it. Most of the money we used to fund our rebellion so, out of six thousand and a little bit more sovereigns, only two thousand of them remain," he explained.

"Are you kidding me, Avernus? We've always been on the poor side in our travels. This is going to help us out really well!" She laughed as she eagerly got the chest out of the cavity. She couldn't wait to tell the others!

Avernus nodded, a pleased expression on his face. "You'll be pleased to know that in the smaller chest are two dozen vials of Andoral's blood, the Archdemon that Warden Garahel slew in the Fourth Blight."

A contemplative silence fell upon Neria. "I assume then that the potion in the Joining has Archdemon blood in it?"

"Not necessarily. Archdemon blood is the most useful but blood from higher darkspawn can be treated magically to produce the same effects. Normal darkspawn, however, just don't have enough taint in them to set off the chain reaction."

"I see. The blood will allow us to create more Grey Wardens, which is good. However, I can trust no one outside the group I travel with, so that will have to wait until we deal with the Blight. The vials will stay her on Soldier's Peak until then."

"Understood. What about my research, though? You still haven't answered my question."

"… I am going to let you keep experimenting… As much as it pains me to admit it, we need every bit of help we can get against the darkspawn. However, I have some conditions. You will _stop _experimenting on fellow Grey Wardens. If you wish to use test subjects, you will have to search them out yourself for now, we've still got a Blight to deal with. I'd be much grateful if you only picked murderers, rapists and other scum like that." The both knew that the last statement was not a request. It was an order.

She worriedly wondered when she had become so callous as to not be bothered for allowing people to be killed at her command, with just a word. She, however, forced those disturbing thoughts aside reassuring herself that they deserved whatever they received as punishment.

Avernus mulled it over for a few seconds but in the end he really couldn't complain about it. "Very well, I agree to your terms."

Smiling again, Neria went to make sure the chest containing the archdemon blood was still in working condition, but she needn't worry. It was sturdy as ever. However, when she tried to move the chest, a small movement of her hand smacked a part of the cavity and she felt it give in to her force with a 'click'.

A low rumble echoed in the room while a part of the wall to her left slid off to reveal another, smaller chamber. Neria looked over Avernus with curiosity.

"Did you know about this room, too, Avernus?"

"I fear this is the first I've seen this room. However, Soldier's Peak was rumored to have a myriad of secret passages built inside of walls and the foundations of the fortress. Mostly, Commander Asturian's work."

Giddy with excitement, Neria rushed to see what awaited them and her eyes widened in child-like awe as she stared at a truly magnificent armor with the twin griffons crest on the breastplate mounted on a panoply. It was all black with several stripes of golden in some places such as the helmet, the pauldrons, the boots or the faulds of the cuirass. The griffons' crest was in golden color too and all in all, it made for a very stylish looking armor and even someone as inexperienced in matters of armor as she was could tell it was intended to be used to shed blood in the battlefield and look pretty outside of it.

And that wasn't all, the walls were covered with several weapons and shields, all carrying the same look and style overall. It was clear everything put together formed an entire set.

A note attached to the wall drew Neria's attention as Avernus examined every piece with a critical eye, nodding approvingly every now and then.

_Asturian_

_My good friend, I can't convey how happy you made me the day you gave me that special order. I can proudly say it's my greatest accomplishment to date and I fear it will remain as such for what's left of my life. The armor and everything else is made of starmetal material! You won't believe me when you read this but it's true! Remember that rumors about a massive falling star some weeks ago? No one had the guts to go but I had my suspicions and the paid off! I got it all before some sniveling thief came sniffing around and I must say that working starmetal was the greatest gift I could ever wish for._

_You'll forgive my bout of childish glee but I gave the armor its own name and each part as well. It is only fitting for this armor is unique in all of Thedas. I named it the Warden Runic armor and since you like black color so much… The helmet is called 'Clarity of the Warden'; the cuirass, 'Hope of the Warden'; the boots, 'Speed of the Warden' and the gauntlets; 'Strength of the Warden'. I named every one of the weapons and shields but I'll write them down here further down in this note. _

_You'll be pleasantly surprised that First Enchantress Ariana swiftly agreed to enchant the armor. Funny thing, she refused at first but when I said it was for you, she scolded me for not telling her sooner and quickly called some Tranquils to aid her. When I asked what she knew you from, she just blushed and waved my inquires away. Asturian, is there _something_ you want to tell me, you old dog? Nonetheless, Ariana always was said be a powerful mage and I now can agree to that statement. She gave me the list of enhancements they applied to the armor, shields and weapons. I noted them down as well. Don't worry, you'll be pleasantly suprised, trust me. _

_Regardless, of that, everything is in order. I got the mute mage's help as you told me to and he cast some sort of stasis spell on the room from what he wrote on a parchment later. All should resist time's pass. _

_We should meet again and trade more stories over a bottle of ale, old friend. Let me know when._

_With my best wishes_

_Quirinus, Thedas' greatest smith_

"Well, at least we know now why there is something like this in here. Asturian had ordered this to some friend of his who was a smith. From what he wrote, it was his greatest achievement."

With the help of Avernus, she brought the chest full of money and some of the weapons to the main hall were the others were waiting for her. The armor stayed where it was. Call her greedy but she intended to keep it for herself for when she could use properly the Arcane Warrior's abilities. Being the leader had its perks, after all. Life was good.

The others were pleasantly surprised of her findings and even happier when Neria gave them each fifty sovereigns for they personal expenses, though Sten refused, saying he didn't have any need of currency to kill darkspawn. He however nodded his head in silent thanks when she presented him with the greatsword called _'Dance of Death'_, though Naruto noticed once again his hesitance for a split second before he accepted the sword with a stony face. Strange; perhaps he really should talk to Neria about it.

Better yet, talk to Sten, from man to man.

Alistair got a new sword, too, and from his constant 'thank you's Neria figured out he rather liked the _'Blade of the Fallen'_.

Afterwards, Neria talked with Levi and although he was disheartened to know Sophia hadn't measured up to his idealistic image of her, Neria managed to cheer him up, saying that the memory of what Sophia could have been had inspired the Drydens to make something of themselves and that such thing didn't have any reason to stop. For their help, Levi agreed to set up a shop and several business connections with Denerim, Dragon's Peak and Highever, enlisting the help from his cousins. All hush hush, he assured her.

Thankfully, Leliana awoke soon after that but it was obvious she was hurting. They used an injury kit on her, which helped a great deal but it was painfully obvious she wouldn't be fighting in several weeks or even months unless they enlisted the help of some Spirit Healer in the Tower. Now more than ever, the necessity of going to the Circle was clear and not even Neria's hesitation to confront the world she'd left behind months ago could stop it.

And then there was the thing with Naruto's unusual prowess in fighting, of course.

In the end, they decided to send some people to Denerim to gather supplies and try to get some information of the state of things in Ferelden. Neria decided she would go, with Fang following her, of course. Although they had her description, she had more opportunities than Morrigan or Sten to stay unnoticed. Naruto, for his part, decided to go with her to see more of how the world he'd last seen several centuries ago had changed.

Of course, the walk to Denerim and the return trip would prove as an invaluable chance to try making Naruto open up a bit more about his past.

With that in mind, the small party of two plus a mabari set out towards Denerim.

* * *

><p><strong>(1):<strong> I seriously had to fight the urge to make a joke about an arrow to the knee!

And that's it, guys. Although you can shrug off in-games injuries like they're nothing, this doesn't really apply to a normal life, no matter that this is a world of magic. So, until they reach Kinloch Hold, no fighting for Leliana. Aren't I evil?

If any of you have recognized the armor/weapons set for what it is, then congrats to you. Yes, it is the Grey Warden Runic Armor mod, the black version, which I think is more stylish. Again, I couldn't contact them but if any of you have an account in nexusmods, I'd be very grateful if you could contact them for me and ask for permission.

Moving onto other things, Naruto gets to be the hero of the day! Yay, how was it? Thoughts, people? For those that think Naruto still had a small role/impact, the only thing I can say is that he will progressively have a larger role. Naruto is, along with Neria, the main protagonist for a reason! And I made the demon boss fight look more difficult. The game was always about the perils of the demons but really, whne it got down to it, their supposed temptations didn't appear that much.

About Neria's rant, I always diliked the fact that the party members would disagree with your choices and even leave your group if angered enough. While I know that they'll disagree with some of your choices, I didn't like that you had to keep them happy to get bonus and all that jazz. Instead, my Neria respects everyone's opinion but ultimately, she's the leader here. _'So, if you don't like how I do things, pack your things and get the guck out of my camp'. _

And before someone flames me for it (I know someone will), I am not flaming Leliana in any way. Her religious views of magic conflict with Neria's somewhat pragmatic attitude.

I always wondered why in Asturian's chest there were only some weapons, armor and only just a damn sovereign. Asturian, you poor sod, you were so poor! Anyway, so I thought "why not" and created a scene with Neria discovering the money/archdemon blood stash and the armor/weapons set secret stash. In my opinion, taking into account how sneaky and paranoid Asturian was made out to be, it's logical to assume he would hide away several chest around the keep.


	8. Interlude - Denerim

**Disclaimer:** I own neither DA:O nor Naruto. All rights to that one little phrase of greatness are property of BBC, which I think it's the owner of _Doctor Who._

I can say it's great to see you guys reviewing my story. Can you believe The Forgotten is now the longest fic in the Dragon Age x Naruto crossover section?! And by a wide margin too! Yeah, couldn't believe it myself either, but now the goal is to be as popular as EroSlackerMicha or NeonZangetsu's stories! Something tells me it's going to be a hard thing to accomplish…

As I said, thank you all for your reviews: **TheGreatBubbaJ; ex-ellent **(x2!)**; irnzenmonk; pucfleck; Skelo; .16**, **NeverEndingDawn, Stillgettintheheadshots11 **and** Ahlerot (**thank you for taking your time to review for the first time!)**.**

To** Guest**. Since I can't reply you through a PM, I'll do it here. You're totally right. It's something that just slipped out of my mind. However, the game itself already provides me with a fantastic solution to the problem you pointed out, which will be resolved this same chapter. Just think, who could be in Denerim that would be able to sort it out? *winks*

To **Narurulz4ever, **I'm afraid Naruto won't come clean with that next chapter. He will imply some things but he won't budge on that one. It's a big subplot in this story, after all, and I don't want to give it away before even hitting the ten chapter mark. No, everything will fit together during the search for Andraste's ashes, since it's a very fitting scenario for that to happen. However, there will hints and other little things about it during the travels before they hit that quest. There's more to Naruto's past that what I've let you all see, but I can't very well give the surprise away.

Moving on, I was surprised to see that no one commented on the whole demon scene in the last fight. I think I treaded on the line with sexual topics and phrases that could be taken either way and no one said anything. Uhh, well, that's kind of good, actually, since there are more Desire demons ahead and some ideas for those encounters. However, I think no one got the little tidbit of information for future events in that little scene… My lips are sealed, though.

I had planned for this to be a quick plot-advancer filler chapter but I was really surprised when I checked word count and it showed I had gone over 9000 thousand words (It's over 9000! Sorry, couldn't resist myself…). I hope it's not just plain ol' filler chapter, but there are lots to do in Denerim, so I just put in some things and left most for another time. Some of you might complain that this is mostly canon and I will agree with you but I did not want to drag this more than it already had been with original content inside of Denerim. The scene with the Kinght (Ser Landry?) will have its own repercussions with time, that much is certain.

I know The Pearl scene was a bit rushed but it didn't really need to be longer than that. Isabella will make her appear next time the group visits Denerim and with her DAII look. Her design in the second game is a little cliché, going for the 'raunchy curvaceous pirate', but at least it's better than the skinny, malnourished pirate look she had with a less than acceptable face. After all I romanced her in DAII!

Still, I'm not exactly happy how this chapter turned out to be. For one, it was much bigger than anticipated and to this point, I'm still not entirely satisfied how the talk Neria-Naruto went and perhaps I will change some things at some point. I can't quite put my finger on why but it's not really one of my favorite chapters.

Hell, I had to cut off the final scene meant for this chapter because it was already massively long. Still, it will appear explained in next chapter.

As stated in previous chapters, if you see an error or a mistake of any type, don't hesitate to point it out to me.

**Important note:** In my Author's notes section at the end of this chapter there are several topics I wished to discuss with you guys. Be sure to check it!

Ahem! With that said, let's move onto more interesting things…

Chapter eight, here we go!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter eight<strong>

**Interlude: Denerim**

"So, what are we exactly going to do in Denerim?"

"As I told you before, we're going to get some supplies for our journey to Kinloch Hold. We'll also try to get rumors on what's going on in Ferelden. What Levi told us about a civil war worries me. Eh… now that I think about it, I'm not sure if you know Denerim. It's the Ferelden's capital city and the city of the royal lineage since Calenhad's unification about four centuries ago," Neria explained but Naruto only gave her a deadpan stare.

"I knew that already, Neria. Denerim already existed in my time, but I'm sure it will be completely different. In my time, the Alamarri lived in there. Alamarri was just a name, however, a concept to get all fereldan tribes into a single category. The Avvars, the Chasinds… they were rough people but once you earned their respect, they would even bleed for you, if your cause was noble enough…"

"Like Andraste's cause was, right?" Neria pried.

A shadow passed over Naruto's face but he acquiesced in the end. "… Yes, just like Andraste's cause."

"Naruto… I'm not an idiot. You knew her, right? Something happened, I can tell, because you close yourself up whenever someone brings up the topic of Andraste, manly Leliana. I know it may be a rude gesture from my part, but Naruto, if you feel up to it, I'd like to know what happened."

Her fellow blond companion didn't say anything for a long time, simply staring at Fang, who was busy chasing some butterflies. Neria was almost convinced he wouldn't budge when he spoke up.

"Neria, I… It's not like I don't appreciate what you did for me, it's just… Those times were full of hardships but I didn't care about it. My life had been full of them but I always came up on top. And then I met Andraste." He scowled for a moment, a dark glint in his eyes as he gathered his thoughts. "It was more of a lucky coincidence than anything else, really. We just… stumbled upon each other. We were friends really quick but then she started the war against Tevinter. Shartan and his elves, Maferath and the Alamarri… We were set on undoing everything Tevinter had done: we wanted to eradicate blood magic, to free the slaves… Our might seemed able to make the Tevinter Imperium kneel, something no one had ever done before. It was mostly thanks to the First Blight we managed to do so much… But everything came crashing down." Naruto looked like he wanted to say something more but then shook his head and stayed silent.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Neria asked with a concerned look. If she was to be honest with herself, he really worried her. Who knew in what state his mind was?

"… I'd say yes, but we both know it would be a lie. It's just that I don't want to talk about it, not yet. I was locked up inside the Fade for close to a thousand years and my only company there were my thoughts and memories. As it is, I don't know how I'm still sane but I was always told I was made of though stuff... Don't worry, though, I won't break down anytime soon. I won't hold you back."

"Naruto, you're not a hindrance. You're my friend and I don't like the way you talk about yourself. You're not a weapon or a pawn to be used. You're a person." Neria scolded him with a hard look, daring him to say otherwise. "But, don't change subjects. I know it's very personal but I hope you could consider my proposition. I don't mind helping you with that Naruto, bottling things up is never a good thing."

The blond shinobi threw a sidelong glance at her, mulling it over in silent pondering until he gave an almost imperceptible nod. "I make no promises but I'll consider your offer. I will honestly think about it. However, no offense, but about your earlier comment, you should take your own advice."

"Eh…, why?"

"Well... In Soldier's Peak, some things were said that could prove to be bad for group relationships." He gently told her, to which the young mage frowned and then looked away.

"I already know that…"

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because...!" Neria started but she visibly deflated after that. "Because I'm tired. I'm tired of being on the run, tired of crawling over corpse-infested ruins to get some outside help for the Blight. I'm tired of not being able to enjoy a full night of sleep. I'm tired of killing. I'm tired of… I don't know, I'm just tired. I was never prepared for something like this; something big like this Blight… and then Alistair just dumped the leadership of all of this on me… I guess I just snapped."

"Sometimes, you only can get yourself together and show the world that you won't break that easy. No one ever said that being leader was an easy thing. Especially, with such a dangerous task ahead of you, Neria."

"I know. Believe me, I _know. _But, you ask why I snapped at Leliana? It's because, believe it or not, her religious views rub me the wrong way. I was tired, frustrated and I didn't want to hear her remarks about the Maker. I don't have anything against the Andrastian religion in itself, it's just that everything that comes implied with it sets my blood on fire." She explained herself as best as she could. "And then, Leliana starts trying to shovel her beliefs down my throat almost on a constant basis and her last remark just set me off. I don't dislike her as a person; it's just that it's highly irritating to me that trait of her. "

"I never thought Andraste would become such an important religious figure… Figures something like this would happen." Naruto muttered with an unreadable look on his face. "Still, although she may be rather active in sharing her beliefs with others, it wasn't very nice to tear into Leliana like that. You should apologize to her when we return; she must be very upset about it." He advised her.

At that thought, he immediately blanched. _'Me, giving advice to someone? Kami, what happened to my old annoying bratty self who only wanted more and more jutsu?'_

His companion sighed as she slugged down her shoulders. "I know I was very rude to her. I just don't like being told what to do in that manner. But if I speak my mind like that, the others will get offended and if they're offended they might think about leaving the group which is really not something Alistair and I need. We can't turn to anyone else and if someone leaves, our chances to defeat the archdemon will be even lower than they already are." She groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "I don't know, it's all a big mess and I'm supposed to get us out of it. It kind of gets to you, the pressure."

"… Someone once told me," Naruto started so say with a contemplative look, "that a leader is never born. It's the different hardships they face and surpass what makes them great. A leader is made through the flames of struggle, through the bloodshed of war. Only someone can show their true nature when under these truths and become a leader for people to follow. With time, I came to understand what he was trying to say in one line that partially resumed his thoughts: Great men are forged in fire… but it is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame." He recited with Neria listening in with rapt attention.

"… Tell me, Naruto. Am I a leader? A true one, whom people would follow? "

He looked at her but then shrugged. "I don't know you that well to answer that question. However, you should think about your question this way. The group you've gathered so far, not including those who could join us at a later date, could be very well a smaller example of what you're asking. Being a leader doesn't mean you give orders to your underlings and punish them if they haven't met your expectations. It means to care for the people under your command. You must show firmness and let others know you won't budge on some topics but being leader also means that you must take into consideration your subordinate's opinions and decide your move upon them. Show them you are their commander and their friend, not just a cold, careless tyrant. At least, that's the most fitting behavior on a group like this." He reasoned.

"Of course, should you be the commander of an entire army, it's expected of you to come up with the best strategy, taking into account the strengths of your soldiers. You can't take into account all opinions as an army commander and you're expected to take the tough decisions. Being a leader is about taking tough decisions many times, without good or bad options," he told her, using his experience during the wars he'd been through.

'_And it's all such good advice coming from someone who lived most of his early life in a village run by dictatorship.'_ However, he didn't mention his thoughts.

"I see…"

"As I said, it's all a very gradual work. You won't just turn into a leader over night. Don't obsess yourself over something like this. Just be yourself and I don't know, try not to be overbearingly controlling or something. "

"Alright. However, I wanted to know… What's your opinion of me, about all this topic of leadership?"

The blond shinobi winced. He knew something like this would've come up, just not this soon. However, he'd be honest with the younger girl. He owed her that much, anyway.

"Well… I suppose we could say I mostly approve of you. You seem to be one of the slightly saner people in this group full of crazies, which is something to appreciate. You got me out of my prison, which is always a plus. However, I have issues with some of the things you said back there?"

"Such as?"

"Mainly, the topic about blood magic. However, before you flip me off, hear me out."

His companion huffed; annoyed at the direction the conversation was going to. "Fine, what do you want to say?"

"I've never seen how blood magic works, Neria, mostly because I never truly fought a Magister so long that he could get to use his magic. That was before I was locked away. In that time, blood magic wasn't nearly as widespread as you told me it's now, and even now it's hard to come by. However, I once fought in a war where our own free wills were threatened by a madman. It was no blood magic but it was close to its mind-altering effects, very close. On a much greater scale, though. I don't think you can imagine it but he intended to use the moon as a catalyst for a massive, world-wide illusion technique, where everyone else would lose their wills in the madman's perfect world. I'm not trying to put your beliefs down, but that time was a very hard one for me. I lost most of my old friends in that war and I'm not sure I can follow someone who can control your own mind at a whim. It's just not right. Blood magic reminds me of Madara's mad plan and I won't follow someone like that."

"Naruto, I would never do such a thing!" She exclaimed, shocked to hear that he thought she would be able to do something like that. She hadn't even considered seriously the idea of her becoming a blood mage. It had just been a threat said in the heat of the argument in the Peak.

"Trust me, Neria, power corrupts, as stupid as it sounds. If someone were to gain enough power, who would be able to keep them in check? Blood magic is just too great of a temptation. I will not follow someone who will use it like that."

Neria nodded with a pensive look. She herself wasn't really interested in becoming a power-craving mage and using blood magic would definitely do that. Reading between lines, she understood what Naruto was trying to tell her. Blood magic was for mages what lyrium was for templars, the more you used, the more hooked up to it you became. Just that instead of losing touch with the real world, the mages would grow more and more power-hungry the more they used blood magic. She shuddered. She really didn't want to imagine what she would look or do if she ever fell prey to blood magic.

"I understand, then. You've really got a way with words, though," Neria complimented him with a nod.

Naruto blushed faintly under the praise as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. "Well, I know I'm awesome like that, but most of my speech was the same given to me before I was locked away." He admitted with a laugh.

"Well, it's still a good speech." She assured him, rolling her eyes at the 'awesome' remark.

"Yeah… it is." He softly said with a small smile.

"But then, there's something I don't understand. If you're against blood magic, why didn't you speak up about it when we faced Avernus? And blood magics is inherently linked with the summoning of demons. Why didn't you say anything when I made that deal with the demon? True, I didn't follow it through, but still…"

Naruto gazed at her for a moment, staring at her with such an intense look that she shifted uncomfortably in her spot. "You're my leader, Neria and I don't usually follow people who I think don't deserve my trust. Although I still have to see if you're really worthy of following, I faced demons before and we must show a strong front when we face them. Otherwise, they will not hesitate to prey on that weakness. Whatever complains I had, I could take it up to you once we reached camp," he explained.

Neria tried to keep her face from showing her emotional reaction to his words. Out of everyone else, Naruto had been the only actively spoken support she'd had and now, to see that he secretly disagreed with some of the things she said made the cold, harsh truth she'd been trying to shove into the blackest corner of her mind rear its ugly head.

The group was not really a cohesioned unit outside of battle and to her it looked as if her own words, said in the heat of battle, would make the group fall apart at the seams with just a another little push. Just like that, with only some words she didn't even believed in or meant.

Sten, she was sure, was watching her like a hawk just because she was a mage and only now did she realize that he would be even more wary of trusting her, thanks to her statements in the Peak. Leliana surely would kept her distance from her from now on, likely wondering if the Maker would approve of following a blood magic supporter, as the redhead surely saw her now. Alistair would stick by her side, but that'd be probably because they were both Grey Wardens and things would become rather awkward between them. _'He too will keep himself at a safe distance from me, I'm sure,' _she thought with a faint touch of bitterness. Morrigan would just find the whole situation amusing and would do nothing more, which in the end would accomplish nothing…

She hadn't felt the need of it since her hurried, shamed departure from the Tower, but right now, the only thing she wanted to do was curl herself up in a ball and cry herself to sleep. She was just a young adolescent of nineteen, having passed her Harrowing much sooner than most thanks to her skills and potential but she wasn't used to interacting with the real world and already she had been forced to shoulder the fate of all Ferelden on her shoulders. What did she know about raising armies, about keeping all of them happy, about keeping her own companions happy so they wouldn't leave her and Alistair in the middle of the Blight? Nothing, nothing outside the glorious tales the books weaved in their pages, twisting the truth and bending the reality of what war was.

She mutedly blinked repeatedly to prevent the tears from falling. She didn't think she was ready, she knew she wasn't ready. The world started spinning…

"Damn, why did we have to leave so soon? I wanted some of Bodahn's lamb stew!"

Naruto's sudden complain was all that Neria's mind needed to immediately go into autopilot. With the emotional strain put on her in Soldier's Peak and her own doubts about her own worth as a leader, her mind had been dangerously close to snapping. Sensing she was nearing breaking point, Neria's own brain latched into the only valve of release from its own destructive thoughts, as a defensive mechanism.

The young shinobi didn't notice Neria freezing and just kept walking. However, he soon saw her hanging back and turned around to see if there was some problem. Neria held her head down and Naruto blinked confusedly. What had gotten into her?

"Naruto…" She began with a sickly sweet smile as she raised her head and smiled at him. It was not pretty. "Thank you so much for reminding me of that."

Naruto frowned, giving her a confused look. Reminding her about what?

"_Oh, and Naruto? Don't think I forgot about you. We'll talk once we're back in camp."_

Fuck, that thing about Bodahn's stew! Naruto blanched. Then did the only logical action any man would do in his position.

He ran away from Neria. Like a bitch.

"Don't run, Naruto! You're only making it harder for yourself!" Neria cruelly laughed as she gave chase. Thankfully, the Ancient Elven armor she still wore was lighter weighted than most armors and it didn't hold her down anymore, a sign that she was improving her own Arcane Warrior abilities.

They kept the chase for a good bit with Neria laughing all the while, her preoccupations and second-guessing herself forgotten for the time being and Fang happily barking at them as he eagerly joined in the fun.

She never saw the smile Naruto had on his face and would never know he'd made that comment intentionally, having seen her almost emotional breakdown.

'_Much better like this. She's much prettier laughing than brooding like that, anyway.' _

xxxOOOxxx

Some minutes later, they were both walking again though Neria was now a little out of breath. Just because the armor didn't drag her down anymore that didn't mean she could run miles with it. Oddly enough, that reminded her of the strange abilities he'd displayed so far, most noticeably during the fight against the Desire demon, after her pathetic -and especially shameful in Neria's mind- performance.

Now was as good a time as any other, she guessed.

"Hey, Naruto. There's something I meant to ask you. What were those attacks you used in the Peak?" She asked with burning curiosity.

For his part, Naruo only scratched his head, already knowing this conversation had been coming for a while. "Well, there's really no short way of explaining but I'll try. Basically, I'm able to do those moves because I'm a shinobi, a ninja."

Obviously, the words and the concept behind them were lost on Neria. "Shinobi? Ninja?"

"Ugh, okay, before anything else, you should know some background from me first. I'm… uhm, not from Thedas. In my own home there were five major villages just a little smaller than Denerim, each one in an even bigger country and they played a big part on the political landscape of our country." He grimaced. It was surprisingly harder than what he expected to weave truth and lie together in a convincing story, while leaving some parts out of it. The figure of the Daimyo wasn't really needed to be explained. For all their talk, they pretty much left the ninjas alone. They were important but not as important as they sounded. At least, from a ninja's point of view.

"You should know that, well, how to put it… we we're basically glorified assassins. We would get jobs assignments, from measly chores such as painting fences to assassination tasks or creating coup-d'états in neighboring countries. As much as we disliked some of the jobs we got, the villages were ruled through dictatorship and although we could turn down some missions, our leader, a Kage, could order us to do them. It does sound harsh said like that, but it wasn't as if the leaders behaved as tyrants. And that's where my powers come in. A shinobi can use a certain type of energy called 'chakra'. Although it's a little bad for me to say, it's basically an awesome energy that allows us to do some crazy shit and seriously powerful attacks, ranging from the_ really_ devastating close quarter combat technique to the most unnoticeable illusion technique. We merely called them jutsu." He grinned. "They're badass, anyway."

After that, Neria kept pestering him to explain as best as he could this… chakra of his and he readily did so. It wasn't like it was classified information, after all.

So he told her many things from his world. He tried to explain to her how chakra worked but even he himself didn't know the finer points of chakra and the chakra circulatory system, so he settled for a succinct synopsis of Sakura's explanation from that mission in Wave so long ago…

He told her what he knew about the Elemental Nations outside of shinobi affairs. After all, those three years of training with Ero-Sennin had been more complex than just mindless teaching of jutsu. It had been a pain in the ass for the Toad Sannin, but he managed to teach Naruto much more than shinobi-related matters. He taught him a little about economy, politics and a broad range of topics. Most of it was extremely boring to go through for Naruto, because he had been (and still was, to some extent) a hyperactive guy, but he'd had put up with it, mainly because Jiraiya actually took the time to teach him things no one ever bothered to teach him.

Neither Jiraiya nor Naruto commented on it but it was always there the unspoken truth that most of Naruto's growth as an individual and a shinobi had been stunted since the beginning. In a rare display of seriousness that the Third's student tried to hide behind a wall of his usual lecherous behavior, Jiraiya taught Naruto most of what meant to be a person, a defined individual. Even when he discovered that Jiraiya was actually his godfather and the Fourth, his dad, he couldn't shrug off the feeling he had two fathers, if only because Jiraiya's actions during those three years. It stung a little than he hadn't gone back to Konoha during his childhood to check on him, but he'd gotten over it a long time ago.

Those three years were more than enough to make up for Jiraiya's early shortcomings as a family figure.

Naruto shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. Jiraiya died fighting for what he believed in and he'd long gotten over his death. Now, he only cherished the good and funny times with him. To him, only those were the truly important memories.

And so, pushing aside those thoughts about his godfather-pseudo dad, he kept explaining his original homeland to Neria, who was listening raptly with unhidden awe. At some point she demanded to see a jutsu to back up all what he was saying and he readily showed her a Water Dragon jutsu, easily creating a huge trench in the forest's side with it.

After that, Neria got a glint in her eyes and constantly begged him to teach her his, as she put it, 'ridiculously incredible spells'. He would never admit it but Naruto barely managed to hide the pleased blush on his face. It was a stupid thing to feel, but the way she'd said it, it just made him feel like he had accomplished something truly great. Of course, he had to resist the urge to give in when she used the puppy eyes, no doubt a quirk she'd gotten from her warhound.

'_Damn that mutt, I know you're the one responsible for this…' _he thought darkly as he glared daggers at the mabari, who just tilted his head in a marvelous display of feigned ignorance. Naruto knew better, though. The mangy mutt was too intelligent for that.

"It's not that I don't want to teach you, Neria. However, you just can't learn jutsu. For one, because I use chakra when you use your mana to power up yours spells. Even the most stupid person could deduce that chakra and mana are different things, different sources of energy, giving different abilities to use. Trust me, I tried to teach someone to use chakra and we didn't get anything out of it. Simply put, people from Thedas, as far as I know, don't have chakra pathways and other needed things to channel chakra. You all simply lack the means to use it."

"Oh, come on! I wanted to do those things you did in the Peak, too!" Neria whined as the dreams of her jumping incredibly huge heights or spitting massive dragons of water and what not were dashed away in a moment, leaving her mildly depressed.

"Hey, don't blame me! You already have your spells, don't get greedy!"

"Bah, you wouldn't say that if you were the one without those powers of yours," she rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

However, he poked her side in retaliation and gained a mischievous grin when she jumped away from his touch. "I wouldn't laugh too much, Neria. Oh wait, don't tell me you're ticklish." He said in a sing-song voice.

Neria paled. His wide grin didn't convey comforting thoughts.

"You know what this means, right?

"Eh…, no?"

"It means… payback time!" He roared with laughter as their previous roles were reversed.

xxxOOOxxx

After another chase of some minutes, they rested for a bit to catch their breath before they resumed their travel and they used the time to get to know each other a little more. Therefore, Neria gave him a basic sketch on how things had changed in Thedas, continuing their talks from the past week. He'd been greatly disturbed to know about the Chantry and their political influence over pretty much everything. Mages, in his first time in Thedas, had never been in such a situation like the one Neria described. It was easy to see her own feelings about the Circle of Magi and the Chantry, which were not exactly favorable towards them.

To know that a part of the population was locked up because of their abilities was a very disturbing thought Naruto, as he couldn't help but extrapolate the situation to his case. What if shinobi had been locked up as well in the E lemental Nations? He was unsuccessful in repressing the shiver of dread that followed that worrying thought.

To lock up something away because of the chance of it running amok was a stupid way of thinking. Hiding away in fear didn't resolve anything and the irrational fear wouldn't help to calm the situation. The mages were feared for something outside of their control and Neria had told him some were bitter and mad about it. He couldn't help but sympathize with them on some level. After all, he hadn't asked either to be made a Jinchûriki. Naruto had lived enough in his original homeland to know that the mess with the Circle of Magi was very much a powder keg waiting to explode.

'_It seems like everything went to hell during the time I was imprisoned. Figures something like this would happen…'_

Everything seemed so different and yet the same at the same time. It was hard adjusting to all the changes, but he would endure because that's what he had done all his life.

Fully rested, they set off once again. Neria was certainly a special girl if what she'd told him was true. From what he gathered, in their Towers, mages were trained until adulthood to become full-fledged mages; before that, they only were novices. However, adulthood was a very vague word in that aspect and the mages only went through the Harrowing when they were ready, since the templars didn't want to risk abominations escaping from them. However, you could only train so much until the templars made you go through your Harrowing or being made Tranquil. According to his leader, the usual age was between twenty four and twenty six. Those templars guys sounded like real assholes; at least, from Neria's words.

However, it wasn't strange for special cases to appear and that's exactly what Neria was, having passed the Harrowing at nineteen. Perhaps it helped the fact that her mentor for the most part of her instruction was the strongest mage in the Tower, First Enchanter Irving, he mused. That was bound to give her a big advantage from everyone else in terms of skill. Of course, if he'd picked her, then that meant Neria had, in any case, much more potential and/or skill than her peers or even her senior novices. Of course, he didn't miss neither the light on her eyes when she spoke about him or the fond tone in her voice, things he would have to keep in mind just in case.

In a way, it reminded him of the Elemental Nation, although ninjas weren't as badly seen as mages. And now that he thought about it, they certainly had way more freedom than them. And they didn't have something like a possession as mages do. A sudden throbbing pain in his head had Naruto grimace a little as he rubbed it, scowling at the ground, but it didn't disappear completely.

No… no, definitely not like ninjas.

Although ninjas had their run of the mill mentally screwed dudes, they didn't have to fear from some weirdo shit of possession. If nothing else because apart from the Bijuu, there weren't demons. At least, they were rare. _Extremely_ so. Perhaps, it was because they had enough weird shit to deal with on an almost daily basis?

With idle chit chat, they finally reached Denerim and Naruto was certainly impressed. The city looked more… defined than he remembered but that was understandable. More than a thousand years had passed. It was bound to change as time passed.

It was embarrassing to admit it but Neria had to search for him more than once because he wandered off trying to take in as much as he could of the city he'd known once. The city bustled with activity and seeing the carefree atmosphere, with dogs chasing laughing kids or women gossiping, made it hard to believe that a Blight was threatening to overrun all of Ferelden.

If Neria's hard look was anything to go by, she was thinking something along those lines.

After letting Naruto explore a bit more of Denerim, Neria led them both to the market.

She had brought along a small bag, courtesy of Bodhan, in case they needed to buy something bigger than the usual stuff. They quickly bought the ingredients for Neria and Morrigan's lyrium potions, the same with the healing poultices. It was far cheaper than buying the potions themselves. Although they could have done that with all the money they'd found in Soldier's Peak, she preferred to make them herself. She found in the process a calming and relaxing work; a way to burn stress, if you will.

The idea that they wouldn't run out of money anytime soon was truly a warming thought, though. Of course, they still had to prioritize their purchases. No sense in buying useless junk, after all.

The food was a quick thing as well. It was a good thing that Neria and Morrigan could use their ice spells to preserve food like fish or meat, if needed. Others types of food like fruits didn't even need such measures. As much as she dreaded it, they bought some stew ingredients too, although Neria doubted she herself would try Alistair's Special ever again. She wanted to remain in the mortal world, thank you very much. But she did buy a big wheel of cheese to curb Alistair's pouting before it started.

One of their lasts stops was Wade's Emporium to see if there was anything useful. Naruto found especially funny the dynamic between Wade and Herren, the one who ran the day to day stuff. Just from hearing their argument when they entered, it was clear to him that Wade was something of a perfectionist, which Herren readily disagreed with, saying that it stalled business and, therefore, profit.

Herren quickly ended the argument when he saw them both and greeted them with a perfect smile, already thinking on what to recommend for their purchases. Since he wanted to recreate the kunais from his childhood in the Elemental Nations, Naruto quickly engaged Herren in a debate over if daggers were useful enough to use as throwing weapons.

Focused as he was in the conversation, Herren never noticed Neria slipping away to the secluded smithing station where Wade worked.

When they had entered Wade's Emporium, Neria knew it was the perfect opportunity to ask Wade if he could help her with the Runic Armor she'd found in the Peak. After all, it was clearly larger than her, meant for some bulkier, like Commander Asturian had been.

Seeing Herren and Naruto enter into a technical conversation about throwing daggers, she had taken the chance to slip away to find Wade. He was staring at a piece of metal as he mused.

"Master Wade, I have a request of you." She called, making herself known.

"Wait, who are you? I'm in the middle of a marvelous assignment and I can't waste time! Everything must be perfect since after this order I will have to do frustrating bland orders because Herren complains! Oh, if only I could have wonderful materials to work with…" he moaned inconsolably.

Neria grinned. She knew just the perfect thing to cheer him up. "Well, I'm sure you'll love what I have for you, then. Say, would you be interested in working with an ancient set of armor?"

Wade certainly seemed receptive even though he tried to hide it at first. "Ancient set of armor?"

"Very ancient. And as I'm sure you're aware, the armor seems to be in top condition, battle-ready. I don't really know much about armor stuff, but for such an ancient armor to still be functional… well, it must be pretty good."

"… How ancient are we dealing with?"

"If I get my history correct, the suit was created around 2:34 in the Glory Age. It _is_ ancient."

And it was. From what she'd read in some books in the Peak and what Avernus had told her, Warden Commander Asturian had been the first Commander to live under the ceilings of Soldier's Peak. Moreover, it had been Asturian's own idea to create a Warden HQ in Ferelden. And from what she gathered from the note, he'd also had ordered a very special set of armor before his demise in the Deep Roads. Now, she intended to take the proverbial torch and be the one to use it.

"… I will… have to take a look into it. Have you brought the armor here?" Wade asked with an eager shine in his eyes.

'_Hook, line and sinker.'_

Neria made a show of slapping her forehead. "Oh, no! It's in a somewhat inaccessible place and I wasn't sure if you would agree to it. However, next time I'm around Denerim, I will bring you the armor."

"You do that, young girl. What exactly do you need me for to do to the armor?"

The young elven mage gave the smith her best smile, pleased to have his word. "The armor was created for someone far bulkier than I am, so I'd like for you to make the necessary arrangements so the armor can fit me." She explained.

"That can be done. I can't wait to work with such a promising piece of art! I will have to cancel all my orders to focus completely on it!" He exclaimed excitedly as he paced around the work station.

Neria couldn't help but chuckle softly at Wade's anxiousness to get to work. "Don't worry, Master Wade. Your reputation precedes you, I'm sure you'll do a marvelous work. So, if there's nothing else, I'll leave and let you work in peace."

"Wait! We still have to take your measures. If I'm going to readapt the armor tailor-made for you, then I'll have to use the measuring tape."

Neria grimaced. Although being watched almost all the time by the templars had not done wonders to her sense of privacy, she still was a little uncomfortable with undressing in front of a man. After all, the girls had been measured by female enchantresses in order to know their measures.

"Are you sure it's necessary for me to undress?"

Wade nodded. "Absolutely, the armor you're wearing –which is of excellent quality, by the way- is like a second skin. It's not bulky so I could try to do it like that, unlike the massive types of armor, but with such a beautiful image you're giving me of the armor I want for everything to reach perfection! For that to happen, I must measure things like the distance from shoulder to shoulder and things like that." He elaborated, seeing Neria's confused look.

She inwardly groaned at his professional explanation. Now there wasn't really a logical reason to refuse to do it. However, she thought it necessary to warn him. "I'm warning you, my staff is not for show. If you do anything that remotely gets out of the measuring zone, I'll show you how nasty I can get."

Wade enthusiastically nodded, not really bothered about his, hopefully, future new costumer's threat. He wasn't into that sort of thing, after all, and he took his work very seriously.

So, with her piece said, Neria quickly got out of her armor, with some help from Wade. Blushing furiously at being seen in her undergarment by someone she hardly knew, Neria stood ramrod straight as Wade measured different things such as the distance from shoulder to shoulder, her waist, the length of her full arm and then only her forearm, just as he did with her legs, measuring first the full leg and then only the thigh until the knee, noting it down in a piece of paper as he did so.

Thankfully, her fears were unfounded as Wade kept his professionalism all the time, easing Neria of her fears. Before she knew it, Wade had finished and she was donning on the armor again. Promising him once again to bring the armor to him next time she was around Denerim, Neria went back to the counter just in time to see Herren and Naruto shaking hands, both clearly pleased about something.

Once outside, Neria couldn't stop her curiosity and asked him about it.

"Well, you see. In my homeland, there was a special kind of throwing weapons. We called them kunai. The most similar thing in Thedas would be a dagger, but kunai are a bit smaller and lighter than those. I could try to make them myself but I don't know a thing about smithing so I struck a deal with Herren." He explained as they strolled around the different stands of Denerim Market district.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Hum, he agreed to make me twenty five kunai down to the last detail following my specifications. He told me that it would cost me around ten to fifteen sovereigns, since I'm not buying them separately."

She raised an eyebrow at him, her lips twitching into the beginning of a smile. "Out of the Fade for less than a week and already bargaining with your purchases? I'm impressed, Naruto." She said, getting a short laugh out of him.

"Well, I just wanted something to remind me of home," he muttered and Neria awkwardly patted his arm, trying to give him some form of comfort.

"You know that I'm here if you ever need someone to lend an ear." She didn't comment on the possibility of him returning to the Elemental Nations. Although Naruto had worded it like it was a country away from Thedas, the fact still remained that he'd been imprisoned for over a thousand of years. They both knew it wasn't an option.

Neria wanted to go to a shop Alistair had told her about, Wonders of Thedas; a shop that supposedly dealt with magical items and random stuff. Getting some directions from an old lady who kept eyeing them both with a knowing smile, they finally found the right way. However, before they even reached halfway to the shop, a man with pale blond hair and massive brownish armor stopped them.

"Wait elf, I recognize you… from Ostagar. Andraste's blood, you're a Grey Warden! Duncan's apprentice." The knight said as he glared at her. "You killed my friend-and good King Cailan. I demand satisfaction, ser," he spoke through gritted teeth.

Naruto's hand flew to what surely was an hostile action but Neria caught his wrist before he could do anything else. "Let me handle this, Naruto." Then, turning to the knight, she answered with a cool voice. "If you really believe that ridiculous lie from Loghain, then I pity you. I was Duncan's apprentice, for whatever short time it was. Why would I want to kill him, huh? And for that matter, if I was well away from where they were fighting, how could I have killed Duncan or Cailan? I hope you realize your foolishness in believing everything Loghain tells you like a good puppet." She rebated with a frown.

"You would slander Loghain's name on top of treason? How dare you!"

Neria crossed her arms over chest, looking incredulously at the knight. "So you're implying that I would willingly help the darkspawn? Me, a Grey a Warden?" She rhetorically asked and Naruto could see the reluctant understanding in the knight's eyes.

"I… You _may_ be right. Perhaps I'll regret this but I can't duel someone who might be guiltless. I… will have to look into this. If I find proof we'll meet again."

With the knight gone, Naruto whistled appreciatively. "Well, will you look at this? You handled that really well. I'd just have knocked him out and be on our merry way." He complimented her seeing her blush at the praise. Funny, he noticed that whenever Neria blushed, the tips of her ears would turn just a shade of red. Really weird, but kind of cute at the same time, though.

"Hum, yes, well. We can't go around picking fights all the time, as much as you'd like to, Naruto," the petite mage replied with a pleased smile.

"Oh, alright, alright, spoil my fun... Anyway, let's just get to that shop."

Wonder of Thedas was actually just rounding the corner and they were able to start shifting through the sales in no time. It was interesting enough, Naruto guessed, but even before being locked away he never fully understood the workings of mana. He couldn't understand Neria's giddiness as she went from one shelf to another browsing through everything with an excited look. Oh well, to each their own, he guessed. It was good to see her enjoying herself, anyway.

After a bit, Neria pulled out a small book -"Tome, Naruto. It's a tome."-, which would teach her one or two new spells. Books like these were important, or so said Neria, since they explained spells usually not recorded in the Tower, although other s could be just books snagged from the Tower for one reason or another and finally ended in here.

Hell, there were even racks of clothes for mages! It made one wonder how come there was such a shop in Denerim when all mages were supposedly kept in check in the Tower. Hum…

However, those thoughts fled his mind when a certain piece of cloth caught his attention. Naruto couldn't help the shit-eating grin that threatened to split his face.

xxxOOOxxx

Neria couldn't help herself. Her smile got wider every time she saw an interesting trinket here and there. She'd said they could only buy the more pressing stuff of what they needed but it was hard to keep true to her own words when there was so interesting things to see in the shop! Truly, the place was like heaven to her thirst for magical knowledge!

"Hey, Neria. I've seen this set of mage robes and the guy at the counter told me they're very good. He assured me any female mage will benefit from these. And it's your size, too!"

"Very nice, Naruto. Put it here, on my arm," she said distractedly as she looked over some runes for weapons on display. She felt the touch of soft fabric on her right arm but didn't turn her head to look it over, too engrossed pondering which runes were better to buy.

Sadly for her, due to her being so focused on the runes, she failed to notice the highly amused tone on Naruto's voice. "Well, I'll just go outside with Fang and wait for you. Have fun shopping!"

'_How nice of him to help me look for some clothes. I mean, the armor's good and all but I miss the soft touch of a mage robe on my skin.' _She thought with a small smile.

She would definitely have to keep in mind his nice gesture for another time.

xxxOOOxxx

Naruto leaned against the wall of the building in front of the shop with a slight smirk while Fang happily pranced around.

Had he gone a little bit overboard, perhaps? Hum, maybe… he'd still get a kick out of it, anyway. Looking around, he noticed a small poster attached to the wall. Being a little curious himself and seeing as he had nothing to do until Neria discovered his little… 'surprise", he decided to take a look.

"Oh, what's this? _'Don't believe the lies! Friends of the Grey Wardens assemble. The hidden pearl holds the key to resistance. The griffons will rise again.'_ Interesting… I will have to show this to Neria, she'll definitely want to look into this." He muttered as he ripped the rebellious paper off the wall.

His musings were cut short not a moment sooner when someone stepped out of the shop and his smirk widened when he recognized Neria. Her face looked like the reddest tomato he'd ever seen and the tips of her ears were blazing. Naruto had to bit his lip to hold on his laugh.

As soon as she saw him, however, she directed the fiercest glare she could muster at him, not knowing he'd faced by far scariest things than anything she could throw at him. "Naruto, I'm going to kill you for this!" She screamed bloody murder as she rushed up to him.

'_Hold on, you've gotta resist, Uzumaki!'_ he thought as Neria's utterly embarrassed and slightly pissed off face appeared just an inch of his own.

"Why, whatever's going on, my dear Neria?" He asked, the beginning of laughter seeping into his tone.

"You... You… Those robes…!" She gasped, unable to from coherent sentences. Instead, she settled for throwing the robes at his face.

The robes had furred shoulder pads, the same with the upper portion of the back, joining in a high gray collar. However, that was not what had infuriated Neria. It must be the massive amount of cleavage it displayed, as well as a generous portion of thigh skin. Talking about thighs, the robes also had black stockings that reached to the middle of a woman's thighs. All in all, a very revealing set of robes, since her womanly bits would only be covered by a stripe of cloth acting like a loose skirt (which, at the mere presence of wind, would reveal everything under it).

"These disgusting robes have _had_ to come out of a perverted mind!"

He couldn't contain it any longer. Naruto started laughing himself silly, seeing Neria getting worked up by the 'whore-ish clothes' as she put it. The fact that her entire face was red with embarrassment didn't help a bit to calm him and he just keep laughing uncontrollably.

However, his amusement came to a halt when an annoyed Neria used a low-level shock to jolt him in place. That _certainly_ stopped his laughing fit, as he yelped from the shock, unaware as he'd been. He certainly hadn't expected it.

"Now that you're done laughing, let me tell you I'm not amused," Neria scolded her companion, who pouted like a little child whose favorite toy had been taken away from him.

"Oh, c'mon Neria, it _was _funny, don't try to deny it!" He argued. His prank had been harmless, after all, and extremely funny in his opinion.

Seeing his pout, she couldn't help the twitch from her lips, curling into a small smile. "… Alright, I'll admit it was a _little_ funny," she had to stop for a moment when Naruto childishly pumped his fist in the air with a grin, "but next time, try to choose someone who is _not_ me. There was this old lady when I got to the counter and I just wanted to die right there when the Tranquil folded the robes to put them in the bag. The look she was giving me could have melted metal," she remembered with a painful grimace. Definitely a memory she would try to forget as soon as possible.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at Neria's misfortune although he stopped immediately when she sent him a warning glare. He was pretty sure it wasn't possible but he didn't want to find the hard way if mages had found a way to turn someone into a toad. He soon grew serious though, there was work to do.

"There's something you should see, though. Take a look at this," he told her as he held up the poster.

Neria furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "Well, we'll just have to see where this leads us, won't we?"

xxxOOOxxx

Half an hour later, they were outside The Pearl. Luckily for them, the map they had of Denerim showed something called The Pearl, which Neria quickly connected to the clue written in the poster. It was clearly not a well thought one, but that luckily played in their favor, seeing as Naruto had not set a foot in Denerim in centuries and Neria hadn't ever been in Denerim, at least that she could remember.

"I… Is that what I think it is?" choked Neria as they stared at the façade of the building.

"Yup, that's a whorehouse for you," Naruto replied mirthfully as he looked over the frilly decorations on the walls. He was actually surprised the overall result looked good, at least to him, although he definitely didn't have the best fashion sense out there. "Well, we should… uhh… go in, shouldn't we?"

"Might as well." The petite mage nodded hesitantly. It was clear she was quite reluctant to go inside such a place.

The inside was surprisingly very clean and neat. Of course, the decoration inside followed the same leitmotiv from the outside, something that Naruto easily could identify with a brothel. It reminded him of a moment in his youth when he went inside a whorehouse by accident, around the time he'd been a genin for some weeks. That had been one hell of an embarrassing moment when he later understood just _what_ they did inside.

Seeing as there was no one behind the counter in the entrance hall, they moved onto the second room, which was much bigger, with a small bar and several tables for passing a good time with drinks.

Luckily for them, the matron had just went inside her office with her enforcers to discuss several topics about client treatment and therefore, Naruto and Neria were able to go past the rooms unhindered, saving themselves of another embarrassing situation. It was not hard to deduce where those Grey Wardens supporters were hiding, they only had to discard every room where they could hear giggling or moans and seeing as there only was one room left… Naruto had to keep his laughter in check seeing Neria blushing furiously again, though.

"Password?" A male voice asked when Naruto knocked on the right door.

"The griffons will rise again."

"Right. Come in," the same person said as he unlocked the door.

There were four people in the room: two qunari, one male human and one female elf and they were all armored, which made Naruto frown. Why they would be wearing armor when they were trying to remain inconspicuous? Something didn't add up here and Naruto had a bad foreboding about this entire business. Fang seemed to thin the same a shim as tensed, readying himself for a fight.

"Well, will you look at this? We didn't manage to snag just some measly Grey Warden supporters, we got one of them for real! Arl Howe is gonna reward big for this," the human laughed but the elf woman shot him a withering glare.

"Speak for yourself, fool. The least I see that disgusting weasel leering lecherously at me, the better. Besides, I'm tired of disposing of civilians. It just serves no purpose. I didn't sign up for this shit," disagreed the woman but the human merely shrugged her accusations off.

"Whatever, Shaevra, more money for us, then."

Neria, however, decided to cut to the chase, seeing as their bickering didn't bring them to anywhere. "So, am I to assume this Arl Howe set up this trap for Grey Wardens supporters, to kill them off?"

"Hell yeah, but I don't know why it matters. You're about to die, elf. Nothing personal, I assure you." He stated with a grin as he unsheathed his greatsword. "Tennant, Jarvy, with me!" He shouted, signaling the two qunari to draw his weapons as well.

However, his attack was halted before it could be considered a threat when Neria suddenly laughed at him, which resulted in his confused expression.

His confusion quickly turned into a furious snarl when he realized she was laughing at him. "Bitch, what are you laughing at?!"

"I'm just laughing at what you said. I'm sorry but you won't be able to kill me." She stated with a confident smile, without even drawing her staff or the small dagger she had brought along, just in case.

"Oh, and why's that, you dumb knife-ear? We're three against you two, since Shaevra seems to have developed a conscience, and we've got two qunari."He said with a somewhat arrogant smile but Neria only smiled in a terrifying manner.

"If you've got two qunari… Well, I've got a shinobi on my side." And as soon as she said that, Naruto disappeared from their sight. It was a mere second, already over before they even had the chance to blink, but they weren't able to fully understand the implications of that little detail before their visions went dark.

"Are they dead?" Neria asked with a worried glance.

Naruto merely shook his head. "No, they are just out cold. I struck at a nerve in their necks with enough pressure to down a giant. I'm surprised though, how did you know I was going to attack as soon as you finished talkin?"

"I didn't."

Looking at her with a disbelieving look, he could only laugh at her pleased smile. "Well, let me tell you it helped to create an epic moment."

Grinning, Neria decided to ask something that had gotten her cusiosity. "So, is that your true speed, then?"

"Not really, that was about half of it," the blond shinobi claimed, making Neria shudder at the implications.

"Ugh, remind me to never get on your bad side." She muttered before straightening up again as she turned to Shaevra, who hadn't made any threatening moves. It must have been the reason Naruto spared her, she mused. Her fellow elf tensed when she saw their gazes focused on her.

Holding up her hands in surrender she spoke up. "I want no trouble. Paedan's big mouth always got us in more trouble than money was worth it."

"I still want information and you _will_ answer our questions."

"Sure, whatever you want! Just keep him away from me." Shaevra said as she threw an uneasy glance at Naruto. She definitely was no slouch when it came to fighting. Hell, she would go as far as saying that she was a hell of a fighter, but this guy took speed to an unreal level. He couldn't be normal. She quickly looked away when he sent a scary grin in her direction.

"Okay, first who's this Arl Howe he you were speaking about? Seems like he put a bounty on us and any who supports us."

"You seriously don't know who Howe is? The sadistic bastard is hot gossip these days. He's been running all Denerim –his new Arling- with an iron fist and I hear he's gotten his rotten claws on Highever. No one knows what happened to Teyrn Cousland and his family. People have begun complaining and they are restless as it is."

"Is he in league with Loghain, then?"

"Loghain? Hell if I know, I guess so. I'm just a bounty hunter, what would I know? Loghain claims the Wardens –you- killed King Cailan but I tend to ignore whatever the ruling class says nowadays. They are mostly a bunch of back-stabbing liars and thieves. Don't get me started on their children, either." She ranted with a frown.

"I see… Thanks for the information."

The brunette elf perked up when she heard that. "Does that mean I can go now?"

Before Neria could answer, Naruto shook his head with a blank stare. "No."

"What?! Why not?!"

"You described yourself as a bounty hunter, a mercenary and you did that by . There's a Blight going on and we can't afford loose ends. Only a Grey Warden can kill for sure an archdemon and there are only two of them still alive in Ferelden. We can't allow the chance of you going to Howe and sell us out." He stated with a serious look.

"But I utterly loathe that man! I won't say anything!" Shaevra tried to appeal him but it was of no use. She started backing away from them, growing in panic.

Neria knew what Naruto said was true. Theirs was a race against time to stop a Blight with minimal resources. It was bad enough as it was and they couldn't afford to let something like this to come back and bite them in the ass. It was true but it still was hard not feel uneasy. The world was much more complex than what she had ever imagined back in the Tower. Much more sinister…

But there was no reason for her to be killed, as Naruto implied. In that moment, Neria knew what she had to say.

"We'll take her with us."

Funnily enough, the both of them turned at her with shock and shouted at her at the same time. "What?!"

"I said, we'll take her with us. She doesn't deserve to be killed for this. She didn't even made a move to attack us in the first place."

"But Neria…"

"No. You told me to be firm on my beliefs and understand others' beliefs. I see why you would say that but we can't go around killing everyone who recognizes us as Grey Wardens just because they could go to Loghain and tell him. Shaevra won't die today but she will come with us to Soldier's Peak." The blonde mage decided.

Naruto looked at her, searching for any sign of indecision. "Are you truly sure of this?"

"I am."

"… I will trust you on this. I just hope we won't have to regret it."

"Don't I get a say in all this? You both are talking about me, dammit!" Shaevra growled with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest but Naruto's stare made her lose her composure.

"Would you prefer to be killed?" He plainly asked with cold eyes and Shaevra had to actively suppress the urge to shiver in fright in front of this… monster.

"Naruto, stop threatening her!" Neria reprimanded him before turning to her. "We will take you with us to our main base of operations."

Shaevra wanted to scream in frustration but nothing would come out. She knew she would never be able to kill this Naruto and she doubted she would be able to take out the mage without being close and with the other guy around. She was powerless to stop them and it infuriated her to no end.

Sensing no more enmity from Shaevra, Naruto addressed Neria again. "We will have to create a distraction to deal with these guys. I'd recommend going on without me and waiting for me at the entrance while I dump these around some place. We can't let people actually giving us a closer look."

"True, how will you do it, though?"

"That's the easy part. I can make solid clones of myself. The technique is called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I will send one of them to create a commotion outside and I'll be able to slip unnoticed with them. Since I receive their memories and experiences, I'll know just when the clone is dispelled."

"Solid clones? You just don't stop impressing me, Naruto." Neria commented with a wry grin.

She didn't voice her worry for Naruto's behavior however. It seemed as if he could go from a mostly happy and joking person to a cold, ruthless killer in a matter of seconds, as if he had some sort of dysfunctional behavioral disorder. If it didn't improve soon, she would have to force him to talk about his past. From what she'd seen, everything of what Naruto currently was as an individual was linked to his past, which he buried.

It didn't matter if he did it consciously or not, his past was most certainly the cause of all his emotional and mental problems and she was sure it would have to be addressed sooner or later.

Naruto's small chuckle brought her out of her musings. "I know. As I said before, I'm just that awesome."

As soon as he said it, he formed a strange sign with his hands and three puffs of white smoke appeared suddenly in the room, startling both women to shock, for three identical Narutos stood behind the real one. They were completely identical and Neria knew that should they start to mingle between them, she wouldn't be able to recognize the real one. It was truly a fearsome ability and put on perspective the amazing powers Naruto had at his disposal. If they were all like this one, Neria felt their odds against the Blight could be more promising than they thought.

Quickly going over the smaller details, Neria and Shaevra left soon after that, leaving Naruto and his clones with the other bounty hunters. He then turned to one of his clones. "Okay. You, Henge into someone else and start a ruckus at the main room. We'll slip by unnoticed then." The clone nodded and left for the main hall.

"What are we doing with these, boss?"

"We'll strip them down of their armors. That way, we'll be able to carry them without tiring too much." He instructed but one clone disagreed.

"Do I have to? It just sounds so wrong…" He whined with a shudder but Naruto simply crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're my minion, I created you. Now, serve your warlord and do it, minion!"

"Ugh, I knew that day would come to bite us in the ass… I hate you so much…" the clone muttered but Naruto overhead him and couldn't help but sweatdrop at his clone's antics.

"You know you're my clone, right? You're just hating yourself, then."

"… Shut the fuck up."

With a small laugh, the other clone started to undress one of the qunari of his armor and just a moment after, the real Naruto and the other clone joined him. In less than a minute the bounty hunters were just in their underclothes and not a moment too soon they heard a shout and several people fighting outside.

"The other clone did his part. Good. We haven't received his memory so he's still around. You two, grab the qunari and follow me. We need to leave Denerim unseen. We'll stick to alleyways and small corridors." Naruto said in a firm voice, which the clones had come to know as his 'commander voice'.

Slipping silently to the main hall, they could see the clone had created a massive bar fight with more than a dozen customers fighting with fists and daggers. _'A bar fight? Now, that's a classic one. I can't wait to see how he did it.' _

If they were expecting a something akin to an infiltration mission, the clones and Naruto were certainly disappointed. It was disgustingly easy to slip unnoticed through the guards patrols and use the roofs as a quick way to cut distance. It was a little pathetic, really, but perhaps he was being too harsh. After all, there only was one ninja in all of Thedas and that was him. There was no comparison between them but he was a little miffed he didn't even need to use some jutsu for camouflage purpose.

Sad, really.

Nonetheless, it suited his needs perfectly. In no time they were outside Denerim's walls, delving deep into the wilds. At a signal of the real Naruto, the clones dumped the bounty hunters unceremoniously on the ground, though they didn't wake up.

"Are we going to just let them here?"

"… No. We're killing them."

The two clones quickly shared a look. They knew what was going in the boss' head. Going by their behavior, it was obvious the three would go to Howe with the news of a Grey Warden around Denerim. Unlike Shaevra, they had been quick to use lethal force to kill them just for money. They were… loose ends.

"Why don't we scare them? Fear is a great thing to keep a mouth shut, after all," clone one suggested but clone two shook his head.

"No, they would need constant reminder just to keep them on their feet and as fun as it would be, we can't afford something like this as the moment."

"Therefore, killing them is the fastest way to deal with this." Naruto finished with blank eyes.

"It just seems so harsh."

"There's a Blight breathing down on our necks with the ruling class too busy with their own squabbling between them for petty reasons to pay attention to the real threat. We can't afford ourselves to be careless. That much we should know from the last time."

"Boss… what happened to you? You've changed so much…"

"You damn well know what happened." Naruto sighed as he rubbed his face with a hand. "We were so naïve… How can there be true peace when resentment and hatred are so easily created? The wars we went through changed us. Don't you think it's funny that up until the war against Madara I had not killed anyone? Well, at least not consciously, with the real desire to kill them. But that was okay, even in the Fourth Great War the majority of our enemies were the White Zetsus and it was hard to sympathize with a huge freak of nature like him."

"I sense a but coming…"

"… But then we got to the war to free the elves… I never thought about it until then, but Ero-Sennin was right. When killing someone, to look at their eyes is a terrible thing, but if you don't do it, you're a coward. If you don't have to guts to look at them and think what you are actually doing, then you are only deluding yourself. After that, I was forced to grow up a bit. I couldn't allow myself to act like a child anymore."

"Then why lie to Neria? We… You told her we'd dump them somewhere around."

"Because, as much as she tries, she's just child at the end of the day. As much as she puts a brave façade, she gets a green face every time we have to kill humans, just like those ambushers the other day, when we were traveling to Soldier's Peak. In time, she will improve, she will understand, but for now… Up to this point she has only battled against different enemies but they were darkspawn or wild animals, the werewolves she told me about and demons. It's not the same as to killing a human and look at his or her eyes, thinking if they have a family that will miss them."

"Let her enjoy the world before dragging her to a war, then?" Clone one finished his sentence.

"… Exactly. Let her retain some semblance of innocence before she has to grow up."

"Why?" clone two pressed for answers. He wanted to know that Boss was doing mostly the right thing.

"As stupid as it sounds… I guess I don't want to extinguish her innocence so early. The world can be a bitter, dark thing sometimes and she's not ready for it. It's like treasuring a truly fragile thing."

"Speaking from experience, huh, boss? Our childhood was a fucking crappy one, but it made us grow up, even if we acted as idiots. It was just our own way of coping. You're robbing her of her chance to grow up as long as you keep doing this sort of things, of sheltering her. Besides, you're just being irrational, she's already in the center of everything with the Blight. And she's not stupid, sooner than later she will ask what measures we took to silence these guys. And you will have to tell her."

The sunlight gleamed off the metal of the dagger as it was brought down with a brisk movement. Blood splashed them, though neither of the three reacted in the slightest.

"… Perhaps, but my point's still valid. She's not ready for this. Not yet, at least. Come on, let's finish this."

xxxOOOxxx

It had definitely been an awkward march to the entrance of Denerim, the one Naruto and herself had used mere hours ago, but how can you strike a normal conversation with someone who you had all but kidnapped? Suffice to say, not by normal means. Therefore, they merely settled for a silent treatment until Naruto returned, with Neria patting a cuddly Fang. Shevra knew she was carefully watching her and would react to the slightest sign of her running away.

Thankfully, it was not long until he did, although he looked a little more somber than usual. Neria didn't think much of it, though. The group knew he sometimes would just think about his past, if his somber and melancholic stare was anything to go by.

Neria knew better than to ask, as it was a very private thing, but she hoped he could eventually come to trust them… her, with his past.

"It's done, Neria. I made sure no one saw me and we can leave now."

"Alright, we'll keep a good march and get to Soldier's Peak before nightfall."

"Soldier's Peak? Never heard of it," Shaevra grumbled but Neria only shrugged.

"Obviously, it had been abandoned for close to two centuries until a day or so ago. Now it's ours."

Shaevra didn't say anything else and they were content with that. They knew they were basically kidnapping her but there wasn't much they could do it. It was too risky to let her roam freely with the information she had. Neria knew she would have to warn the residents of Soldier's Peak to keep an eye on her, especially Avernus. She was sure he knew one or two tricks to keep tabs on someone…

Nontehless, the Tower of Magi would welcome her again in the near future. The way she would be treated however, that would have to be seen.

* * *

><p>Done, chapter eight finished. Let me know what you guys think of this.<p>

There's a hint to a very important part of the plot revolving Naruto somewhere in this chapter. However, I think it's hidden in plain sight and won't be recognized unless you know what you're looking for and therefore, I doubt any of you will find it, as it won't become clear what is referring to until a little later on the story, though you should be able to figure it out, at the latest, by the end of the Magues quest. However, if any of you manage to prove me wrong, then I will have to swallow my words and tip my hat to you. Let's see how sharp's your eyesight!

About Shaevra, I know she's supposed to attack you and end dead but I thought of giving her that line about Howe and it just went downhill from there until she survived the battle. Now, don't expect her to become a constant character or something like that. She will stay most of the Blight in Soldier's Peak, though I still have a little role for her in this story.

So, as stated at the top, this time I wanted to discuss with you several choices and rant about several things of DA:O. I have separated the different parts with numbers to make it easier on the eyes. Let's start.

**1-.** The Tevinter mage robes. I used it in what I hope was an humorous scene but really, Bioware? I'm sure all of you think like me in that those robes in particular were not suited to mage robes in a fantasy game of Dragon Age's level. At all. It was a huge mistake in almost all mage robes (robes are clearly one of the worst options in a battlefield) but the female mage robes got the prize. They'd have suited more to one of the whores in The Pearl than anything else, really. It was a disappointing oversight from Bioware. PC users have at least nexus mods to fix it and add realistic-cool looking mage attire but PS3/Xbox users don't. What you think, guys? Opinions?

**2-.** Another thing that irked me was the timeline. In the transition between Awakenings and DAII, Bioware messed up because they simply made it all with very, very little window of time. Since Bioware doesn't state exactly when they start counting the Blight year, it leaves everything relative and with Thedas being such a small country from what I've read (wasn't it roughly the size of UK?), things just don't fit. Dunno, I've seen the timeline and, although it more or less fits, it's pretty vague, something which doesn't help me at all with this. Although many mistakes from DAII can be pinned to EA's eagerness to make a quick profit thanks to DA's pull in the RPG section.

**3-.** Several months ago, I had been entertaining the idea of a possibly evil (or just ruthless) Neria further down the story. I had almost never seen such an idea used and I wondered if I could do it. However, at the end I decided not to and the idea never went further than that. What do you think guys, would you have liked to see some of evil Neria?

**4-.** You know, when I got to Wonders of Thedas for the first time I was broke and seeing all those shelves and stands made me wonder why I wasn't able to steal (like Skyrim). I mean; poor and with a Blight hanging over their heads, why would they risk being goody-two shoes Fereldan citizens and pay for all their (most expensive) purchases? If they die, bye bye to Ferelden. I suppose I got too much into role-playing, I guess.

**5-.** At the Tower, there's the Lost in Dreams quest. Do you guys want it in the story or just a brief thing with the most important things? I personally lean towards option two, but I'd like to hear your opinion.

**6-.** Now, this is a question I have for all of you. I was thinking that in Awakening, I could use the character of the Baroness for more than just a boss fight. I thought she had all what was needed to make her into an acceptable evil character or reluctant ally. Of course, the demon issue would be addressed (I have a theory about demonic possession, anyway) but it's still too early to say anything else. Thoughts, people?

As stated in the previous Author's note, I will focus on rewriting/reediting chapter 2 and raise its quality. Therefore, it may take me a little while to get Ch. 9 out. However, do not think for a second I have forgotten about it.


	9. The Tower of Magi

_~For the essence of evil dwells in the deepest shadows of the mind and the gateway to revelation lies beyond the threshold of madness...~_

_~Joseph Vargo ~_

Hello there, as promised the eight chapter of The Forgotten. Some of you may have noticed the revised/edited version of chapter 2, "Awakening", is up and running. Perhaps it could be a good idea to go through it again…

Anyway, sorry it took me so long to show up again but I had important exams that I didn't want to fuck up and so became a recluse for a month to study. We all have priorities, after all.

Okay, as always, thank you all for the favs, follows and the like. Thanks to **pucfleck, TheGreatBubbaJ **(awesome avatar, man!), **FireKing500, Kira (**Guest), **Fallen-Ryu, ArthurB, Lio117, Blackholelord, sidestory, ex-ellent, Ahlerot, Jose19, Igornerd, ShadowWulf00, Raxychaz, tim223, Beserkians fury, Deus Swiftblade, Kasumi lynne, LoneFox123, Ronin Kenshin, Dragonfan91, Silver Heart11DOOM **and **brawd316 **for taking some of their time to review my story.

I just want to answer to two guests, since I can't send them a PM.

To **Alexander**: Wow, man, a thousand thanks for the kind words. Reviews such as yours are what give authors the motivation to keep writing! That, and their own desire to see their work through, of course. Again, many thanks for the encouragement and I hope to see you more in future chapters.

To **Guest** (you know who you are): Although I doubt you will read this, since you said you would stop reading this story, I want to tell you that I hope you find the fic you're looking for, no hard feelings. However, I do find a bit unfair your reasoning. My fic is not fast-paced and I try to put in character development/thoughts about different topics. Changes still have not had the opportunity to happen. As it is, we're only a week and half or so of in-game time since Naruto's liberation, two weeks at most. A massive change can't happen in that short timespan. But I'm already ranting so I'll stop here.

However to everyone else, it should be obvious by now this is a relatively slow-moving fic, so you shouldn't expect blood-pumping moments the eighty percent of every chapter I write.

But anyway, we just went from 10 to 25 reviews! Wow thanks for the response guys, I hope you all stick around and even more people decide to stop by and leave a review.

I have to say, though it's been more than a month, I have never left this fic in my mind and I have come up with several ideas that will be developed through the fic. Trust me, there's a lot coming ahead and I have many expectations for the surprises I have prepared. As it is, I have had to start another datapad document to keep up all the ideas and the little details that I will use, in case I forget them.

Just a hint for you all though. I have been scrounging the net for fantasy female pictures in search of a good looking, female-oriented armor/ceremonial robes meant for a very important OC. Make with that what you want ;). Fear not though, it won't be a Mary Sue.

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>Sexual innuendos in this chapter mostly. I'm already considering bumping this fic into M rated territory.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Dragon Age: Origins nor Naruto.

* * *

><p><em>~For the essence of evil dwells in the deepest shadows of the mind and the gateway to revelation lies beyond the threshold of madness...~<em>

_~Joseph Vargo ~_

**Chapter eight**

**The Tower of Magi**

"_We're fucking losing this war, dammit! Our troops are better trained and have tactics on their side but this blasted army of White Zetsus is just too big for us to defeat! We can only forestall them for so long until it all comes crashing down."_

"_Calm down, idiot. We're not dead yet and until then, we'll still fight for our freedom. Don't shame us all with your cowardice!" scolded Ē, the Raikage._

_Shikaku soon took control before more quarreling could take place. "Anyway, as I was saying, Platoons 4 and 5 have been cut down to half, more or less. As their specialization is heavy-hitting attacks, we will combine their forces. However, this action will cause us to leave unprotected these positions," he said while pointing at a river and the nearby zone. "One of our supply lines is nearby, beyond that river, and we can't afford to lose it. Otherwise, the men at the other side will have to fend for themselves until we can get to them."_

"_Chief Strategist, what are the current estimations of the enemy's forces?" Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, asked with a pensive look. _

_Taking a quick glance at his latest report, he answered with a grim look. "At the start of this war, an enemy count ranked their numbers at one hundred thousand white Zetsus, as well as the two dozen or so revived shinobi through Edo Tensei. After that, Kabuto and Madara himself. We started this war with about eighty thousand people, between shinobi and samurai alike. Now, after a year of constant fighting, they have around fifty thousand Zetsus available but, thankfully, most of the revived shinobis have been dealt with… not without heavy losses, though. Our alliance has lost sixty five percent of its former strength; we're around twenty eight heads or so."_

"_Considering we lost half of our men in a single day, I think it could've been worse. A lot worse, but this war is still the bloodiest I ever seen."_

"_That's understandable, Tsuchikage-dono. We're not fighting normal enemies, after all." _

_A field commander chose that moment to speak next, looking troubled. "Our numbers have held strong since that day but they're dropping each day and it doesn't seem they're going to stop." At this point, he adopted a resigned look. "If this goes on for much longer, it won't be long until we're forced to deploy our batches of gennin on the battlefield." _

_Several people shifted uneasily on their seats at his remark but no one commented on it. The life of a shinobi usually never had a rather long lifespan. It wouldn't be the first time they had sent children to the battlefield and if they survived this war, it certainly wouldn't be the last. Even if gennin were technically already adults in the eyes of society, they couldn't help but think that those who graduated in their first try as rookies were, for all intents and purposes, wet behind the ears wistful boys and girls. _

_Having grown tired of the argument, Naruto took his turn. They were getting nowhere. "Then we should attack the real threat, instead of letting ourselves lose our forces in these draining guerrilla tactics. We're too spread thin to cause real damages to the Zetsu army!" He then turned to Ē, who had a pensive look on his face. "You know I'm right, old man! If we don't take out Madara soon, the Zetsu army will just tire us out until he decides to come himself onto the battlefield again!" _

"_And what you do propose, Naruto-kun?" Mei asked with genuine curiosity. Having acted as commander of Platoon 2, she'd been Naruto's commanding officer and she had come to respect his fighting skills during the war. It also helped the fact they had saved each other's life more times than she remembered. Of course, the fact she took the time to interact with the shinobi under her command also helped her to get to know the infamous Naruto Uzumaki. Needless to say, she only had good things to say about him to anyone who bothered to ask._

"_Cut off the head and the whole army will crumble. Most of the revived shinobi have been resealed and there are only a few left. Kabuto himself is missing but the most dangerous is Madara. After he managed to get Bee, only I can take him on, and that's thanks to the training I had to go through. I know I can defeat him! You've gotta believe me, old man!" _

_Tsunade slammed her hand on the table before her fellow Kage could get a word on edgewise. "Absolutely not! I won't allow you to throw away your life just like that! There are many more people powerful to form a united front when we confront Madara. I won't allow you to face him alone."_

"_You won't be able to escape it, Naruto Uzumaki."_

_The voice, come from a random jounin's mouth cut through the voice and reached Naruto's ears, though no one seemed to have heard it. Turning to the one he thought had said it with a confused look; he asked "Sorry, what did you say?"_

"_I said that you're too valuable to lose to Madara, Uzumaki-san."_

_Blinking confusedly, he shook his head and turned to rebuke a Iwa commander too stubborn for his own good._

_Soon enough, everyone was arguing with the person next to themselves about the best course of action, with things quickly spiraling out of control. However, Mifune still presented a very imposing appearance, despite lacking many of the shinobi's skills and forced order in the room._

"_Enough! Seeing as we're not getting anywhere on the topic of what course we should take this war to, I'm declaring a recession to clear our minds a little before resuming it. However, I expect all of you to behave accordingly to your stations. This war is about our collective freedom as mankind and we can't allow such discord of opinions in the chain of command."_

_Everyone mumbled their agreement and started making their way out but Naruto was already gone, having stormed off just as Mifune started speaking. _

_He next found himself standing on a cliff near headquarters with a moody expression. He was too annoyed to even care he was brooding like a certain Uchiha he knew. Of course, in normal conditions he would be horrified of himself for doing such ridiculous thing but as it was, he really didn't care. _

_Didn't they see they weren't ready for Madara? They had already tried to kill him on the earlier stages of the war in what probably was the first time the five Kages of the Elemental Nations had fought together in battle against a common enemy. And yet, they still had lost. Hell, it was luck they all had come out of that fight alive. _

_He had to fight Madara himself. That was what he had trained to such lengths for. No one had Kurama sealed inside them, no one else could use Sage Mode and combine it with Kurama's chakra. _

_However, he was brought of his broody musings when he felt a pair of nimble arms sneak around him as a floral fragrance filled his nostrils. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the smile out of his face. "You're getting better; I didn't even sense you coming."_

_He almost could see the wry grin in her face. "Of course I did. I learnt from the best, after all," she said as she rested her face on his back. "Rough meeting again, huh?" _

"_Ugh, don't remind me. They're just too stubborn to accept I have the best chance at ending this war while more men and women alike die every day!"_

_However, his words only served to make her chuckle in amusement. "This coming from you, the famous knucklehead ninja of Konoha?" _

"_Hey, that's entirely different! And besides, I haven't been like that for long time, anyway…"_

_They were silent for a moment until she sighed with emotion constricting her voice. "No, I suppose not…" She tightened her arms around him. "… I'm worried for you, Naruto."_

_In such few words, she was able to convey everything she felt for her fellow blond. Words were unneeded when you were able to express so much with gestures and Naruto found himself lowering his gaze, fighting to keep his own composure. She was a proud kunoichi, regarded as one of the most powerful fighters in the Allied Shinobi Forces, partially thanks to her status as one like himself. However, her own skills, honed and tempered during many years, were matched by few. But even the most powerful of shinobi was, at the end of the day, a man or a woman with feelings impossible to mask for too long. _

_He would never be able to look at himself in a mirror if he ever lost her. _

"_Don't be, as soon as I convince the Kages, I'll be able to confront Madara and put an end to this war. And then, we'll be able to be together. For real."_

"_Hmm, that cozy home you told me about comes to mind, now."_

_He could almost see her smile. _

"_Hell yeah, just you wait. It's going to be freaking awesome!" _

_In that moment, her breath tickled his ear and his cheeks reddened and the sudden contact she was starting to initiate._

_"And I'm sure we'll have all the time of the world to start reviving your clan, Naruto-kun..."_

_ If possible, Naruto would have passed out already with that but his blood froze in his veins when she spoke next. _

"_You won't escape it, Naruto Uzumaki. You won't be able to run away forever. It has started. We're coming."_

_Her voice, usually so full of warmth when speaking to him, lacked something now. It was still warm and inviting but there was a hint of something else, something malicious. The hairs at the back of his neck all stood up. _

"_What the…!"_

_He whirled around as best as he could to look at her, with her arms still keeping their hold on him, and…_

xxOOOOxx

The only indication he awoke from his dream was the slight quickening of his breath and the sudden opening of his bloodshot eyes as he kept his body stiffly tensed but he blinked confusedly as he slowly allowed his body to relax.

' _What… just happened? Did I have… a nightmare?' _It was already hard enough to remember the dream, already the details were merely a blurry mess of disjointed ideas. '_Was it there… a fragrance or something? And… and… an argument?'_

Groaning at the uselessness of it all, he sat up with a sigh. They were well into the night and the fire they had set up was crackling merrily. Even if the fire itself was a possible weakness, they were confident in their own fighting skills in the case someone tried to sneak into their camp. Of course, if said someone managed to get past the Witch of the Wilds, the Qunari, the Chantry sister… (well, that one really didn't look that threatening), and a trained templar, they'd have to get past a very unamused shinobi.

Looking around, he could see Leliana already inside her tent but Sten was doing something along the lines of meditation, if the quiet muttering in a language he didn't understand at all was anything to go by.

Hell, for all he knew, he could be very well muttering his wet dreams!

Chuckling to himself, he went to Neria and Alistair, who were having a serious conversation between them and sat next to Alistair.

"Hey guys, trouble sleeping?"

"Something like that, yes. It's these dreams about the archdemon, it makes it all but impossible to sleep," answered Neria with a tired sigh. She had made it abundantly clear to Alistair that she wouldn't keep non-vital Warden information secret if someone from their group decided to ask.

"That must be rough, not being able to sleep."

"Well, it's not every single night, just many of them, but it's still manageable. Hopefully, it will stay that way," Alistair explained with shrug. "What about you?"

Naruto shrugged noncommittally. "I had a nightmare. I think. The details are already blurry and I can't be sure. Nothing to worry about, really." He assured but he still couldn't shake the feeling it was of great important. But why? "So, what were you talking about? That is, if it isn't Warden-related business," he added with a grin.

He didn't miss Alistair's discomfort when he posed the question but the former shinobi was surprised when it was the former templar trainee himself who spoke first.

"Neria here was… ah, apologizing for her words when we were at Soldier's Peak. She was just trying to explain why she said what she said." Turning to Neria, he gave her a small nod. "I won't deny it makes sense from a logical viewpoint but I was raised with Chantry beliefs and blood magic is just something I doubt I'll ever be comfortable with." At this point, Alistair gave Naruto a boyish, happy grin. "Besides, she bribed me with Antivan cheese! How could I not accept such generous and kind apology? Praised be the wonder that is cheese."

The three of them shared a low laugh at that. "Seriously now, there's really nothing to be forgiven. I get that everyone has their own opinion and I'm okay with that, but I'd be grateful if you didn't turn me into a mindless puppet. I'm pretty fond of my thoughts, even if Morrigan insists time and time again I don't have enough skill points to be capable of using human intelligence. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm with you in this. I see you as a good friend and I don't want to lose you just because of my prejudice."

Even if he were able to, Naruto didn't bother hiding his smile as Neria's sea-green eyes misted over, even as she tried blinking to prevent any tears from falling. "T-thanks Alistair. You're a great friend as well, no matter what Morrigan says. And don't worry, I would never resort to blood magic. You're alright the way you are."

Chuckling softly at Alistair's muffled "Why, thanks", Naruto couldn't pass the opportunity to get a dig at Alistair. "Why, Alistair, didn't take you for the serious type. Been practicing much, huh? If I didn't know better, I'd say you had been raised by an actual human instead of dogs," he teased with a grin.

"Hush Naruto, do you want her to hear you? And I'll have you know I was raised by the rowdiest pack of dogs you'd ever know," Alistair whispered him with a matching grin.

Neria herself couldn't help the laugh she let out, which she quickly silenced for fear of waking up the ones sleeping. It was already past midnight, after all.

"So, what do you think of Marcus and Liryan?" Their de facto leader asked. "I want to know your opinions because everybody else is… well, Sten would just look at me with that stare that makes you want to run away and hide behind a rock. Morrigan would just say that as long as they don't get in their way, she couldn't care less and Leliana… I don't think I want to know what she would say. I'm sure she'd manage to put something about flowers in her explanation. Or stylish shoes."

Alistair found himself agreeing with Neria's analysis of their companions, letting out a low snort. "Well, I doubt they are up to something or what not. Marcus is still injured from those wounds he got in the wilderness and Liryan looks as unthreatening as you can get. They're alright if you ask me."

"Well, you'd be surprised, Alistair. Some people are professional enough to harm themselves just to get in good graces with their targets. But on this one, I'm with him, Neria. I doubt they are spies or assassins. Trust me on this, they aren't either and that's coming from one who did this kind of things. " He assured her as they stared at the tent their most recent additions to their group of misfits shared.

Naruto, Neria and Shaevra had found them almost by chance when they were returning to Soldier's Peak. It had actually been thanks to Fang they'd found them and that was only because Marcus was the proud owner of a female mabari called Brina. It had been –and still was- pretty amusing to see her spurning Fang's shows of affection without as much as a glance at his direction. When asked on the unusual name, Marcus had merely smiled fondly at his mabari and said it meant 'protector' in an ancient language. It had not been easy to break the ice between the two groups, as Liryan reacted violently to every move she deemed as threatening towards Marcus, who was incapacitated due to injuries in his toe and arm but it proved easier after the episode with the mabaris.

Marcus himself, they learnt, was Marcus Cousland. The name really didn't mean anything to Naruto but Neria did remember his family as part of the higher nobility, just a step down from the position of king itself, as Lord Cousland held in his (or Lady Cousland's, of course) power a teyrnir. However, if the dead and dulled eyes of Marcus when she commented on it were anything to go by, something truly worrying had happened, that much was obvious.

Liryan, for her part, was an elf living in the Denerim Alienage. She was supposed to get married several months ago but a 'cocky noble with more money than brains', as she herself had eloquently put it, had crashed her wedding. Something happened then –Liryan was reluctant to tell what it was- and she soon found herself on the run. It was easy to form several educated guesses about what had transpired; more so if one paid attention to the different gossips flying around in Denerim.

Liryan had found Marcus out in the wilderness, half-starved and with a bloody toe and an arm horribly bent at a hideous angle, guarded by his loyal Brina. After reassuring Marcus' mabari she meant no harm to her master, she started tending to his wounds. They lived in the forest, waiting for Marcus' injuries to heal, until they were found by an overly enthusiast mabari who was all over their canine protector.

Of course, since Neria couldn't let someone in such a situation to fend for themselves in good consciousness, she used what little amount of healing spells she knew to speed up the process as much as she could. It was a surprise that Marcus wanted to accompany them on their quest. He might be injured but his mind was still as sharp as ever, he assured them with a grin. It was obvious he figured out the fact they were Grey Wardens –or rather, Neria was-, thanks to the different rumors Liryan heard during her forays into Denerim. The news of the Blight were spreading fast and he saw it his duty to help a stop to it.

And so, two new additions had been added to their group.

On a side note, Neria used the chance to inform Levi that Shaevra would be a guest in the fortress but told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn't allowed to leave the place. Not that there was any chance of that happening, since they had covered her eyes and ears with a fabric and soil to avoid any kind of help if she ever tried to orientate herself in the labyrinth that were the abandoned mines. She also told Avernus to use his skills and find a way to track her wherever she goes. Better to be thorough than to lament it at a later date.

Neria had also asked Levi to bring the armor she'd found earlier with Avernus to Wade when he got the time to do so. Obviously, he knew he would have to keep the armor hidden in case anyone tried anything funny but she wanted her order done by the time she came back to the Grey Warden fortress.

"Well, let's just hope we can find a good healer to take a look at those wounds of Marcus. We should also make sure Leliana's properly healed. She's still feeling those broken ribs."

"We should get all the rest we can get, then. We will have to set up a fast pace if we want to reach the Tower within the week," Alistair commented when he saw Neria yawn, already starting to doze off.

Murmuring their good nights, the three of them retired to their tents to get some sleep. However, while he waited for sleep to come, Alistair still couldn't get a certain thought out of his head.

"But what the hell is a skill point?" he grumbled.

xxOOOOxx

"Boss, I've got juicy info already."

The Dark Wolf leaned on his chair, examining an important report on their latest bribes to guards and several nobles for information. "Do you, now? Tell me, what task were you assigned to?"

"The Warden one, boss!"

"Mm, what do you have for me, then?" The elusive information broker asked his underling with sudden interest in his gray eyes.

"Well, I got lucky and I found a pretty elf that matched the description that you gave me near the city's main gate just as I was leaving. Smallish, blonde hair, pretty eyes. Hard to check it though, she wore full armor but luckily she didn't carry a helmet. She had a mabari with her too, and another elf was nearby. Probably she was with the Warden, looked kind of tense, though I suppose one would be in their situation."

"Alright, get on with it. I assume you gave the message to the Warden without complications?"

"That I did, boss. She got the message alright, thanked me even and wrote down the answer in the same parchment. Was very nice and all, that girl. Hard to believe she's an actual, honest to the Maker Grey Warden though."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Thomas. The most dangerous of evils are those that hid behind a pretty smile or kind words. Nonetheless, you did well. Leave the parchment on my desk and go to the kitchens. Tell that blasted woman to give you a drink or two. I expect you to come tomorrow morning for another assignment."

"Got it, boss!"

Thomas left not too long after that, leaving the Dark Wolf alone with his musings, eyeing the parchment as if it would give him the answers to the meaning of life.

'_What should I do, I wonder? If I went to Loghain with this I could easily get a nice sum of sovereigns out of it. There's someone high enough on the social ladder to be in the know of an assassination plan targeting the Warden yet they are basically conspiring to foil such plan. I doubt he'd tolerate such a thing. It could solve many problems for me and my boys…' _he pondered as he played with a glass of wine.

'_But Loghain has been a thorn on my side lately, trying to shut down my network and different operations. Not that he'll ever get close to do so, of course, but it's getting on my nerves, really, and I have better things to do than be checking on my different business just to make sure everything runs smoothly.. I probably should get out of the country before the darkspawn get to Denerim… but perhaps if I take a side on this conflict, the Warden may have higher odds to end this Blight on her favor. I don't like the idea of leaving all my carefully laid work just for it to crumble to ashes in less than a year, anyway.'_

"Loghain, you're such a fool…" he sneered in disgust as he threw the glass to a wall, smashing it.

"Well, that's an opinion I completely share, dear." The sudden female voice e startled him, even if a mere twitch of his shoulder was the only indication of that. However, they both knew she'd seen it.

He hated it when she could sneak up on him without making the faintest of noises.

"Thalia, you've returned sooner than expected." He acknowledged but she only laughed.

"Of course I did. Nothing can keep me apart from you too long, after all." Thalia chirped as she sat on his lap, ignoring whatever feeble protests he gave her in case one of his men walked in on them and started nibbling on his ear.

"What are you going to do? With the Warden business, I mean." She asked with a low moan.

"You know I don't like it when you eavesdrop on my business conversations, Thalia," he told her with a glare that didn't contain any real animosity as he idly started playing with a lock of her red hair. Gods, he was starting to feel bothered in his clothes already and Thalia's smirk told him she knew it as well. "And I'll probably pick the Warden's side, just to get back at Loghain.

Thalia simply snorted in his ear, rather amusedly. "We both know you love it, dear. It gives you an excuse to… "punish" me on the bed. And what punishments…" She purred.

The Dark Wolf smirked at her remark but didn't comment on it. He had enough on his plate by restraining himself and not ravishing her on the spot. "I really don't want to start from scratch in another country. We do have safe houses and a network in them but it's just not the same as in here. Besides, as I said, Loghain is getting annoying. All the better if my… unknown assistance can help in getting rid of him. He's fucking with us and we can't have that now, can't we?"

"Oh, indeed. Only I get dibs on your mighty spear." Thalia nodded with a grin as she resumed nibbling his ear. However, this time the motion revealed a slash mark still red and sore on her arm, catching her lover's attention immediately.

"And pray, tell me, what's that Thalia?" He asked with a deceptively soft voice, their previous foreplay all but forgotten.

Glancing at her wound, Thalia didn't spoke for several moments. "You already know, Garret. I summoned a demon yesterday; I needed to ask it a few questions."

"Thalia, just because you're a blood mage doesn't mean you have to be constantly summoning demons! What if you fuck up once and get possessed because of it?! And don't call me by my name again, the walls have ears!" He always was paranoid of someone finding his real identity but she could see it was mostly because of his worry for her.

"… I won't slip, trust me."

"Of course you won't, I'm forbidding you from ever doing stupid shit like that!" He growled almost feral. He just couldn't understand how she could have done something so utterly idiotic and reckless.

"Agh, enough of this! You'll get your chance to scold me later, now fuck me, you stupid man!" she hissed before smashing her lips on his, cutting off his rant before it could even start properly.

He just knew he was in for another sleep-deprived night. Curse Orlesian blood mages and their sexual drive!

xxOOOOxx

"You're making no sense, _Bas Sareebas_. A female, like you are, has no place in the battlefield," Sten remarked.

They had started another day well-rested and were well on their way towards the Tower. However, Sten had finally spoken his mind about Neria's leadership or even her place as a warrior.

"Just because I am a female that doesn't mean I should be forbidden from fighting! Look at the armies from different countries: they have female fighters in them." She regretted jumping up at his statements already; their argument was only giving her a headache.

"Your argument is flawed and illogical. Females are not meant to be soldiers, only males are. Females are farmers, scholars, priests or shopkeepers. Soldiers are males, why would you wish to be a male?"

"But being female doesn't mean you _can't _fight."

"Wrong. Qunari who fights are males. However, you are a Warden and that is what I still can't understand."

Neria liked to think of herself as a gifted mind. It really was no arrogance for her part but her prowess in the magical arts, greater even than some of the more experienced Senior Enchanters, had to come from somewhere.

Yet her talks with Sten about what was roughly philosophy of one's position and other topics left her as if fumbling in the dark, a feeling she certainly did _not_ like yet couldn't do much to remedy it.

The Qun, the not-quite-religion-slash-philospohy of the Qunari, was something she had difficulty at understanding. The cultural gap was perhaps too much of a hurdle to ever fully understand the Qunari's complex culture of guidelines bound by something resembling honor. Moreover, this difficulty would be greater if such information was scarce at best and your only source was a Qunari. Of course, by principle, a Qunari will see a non-Qunari individual as part of the _kabethari, _that is, the simple ones.

'_Basically, all the races, seen as unenlightened by the Qunari'_ Neria thought with a roll of her eyes.

However, that single fact would be counterproductive, as he wouldn't feel inclined to fully explain with clarity the Qun. When asked, he had merely stated it was not his role to do so, as he was simply Sten of the _Beresaad_, a division of the _Antaam_, the military part of Qunari society. This was divided in three parts, symbolized as body, mind and soul (which were represented in a triumvirate formed by the Arishok, the Arigena and the Ariqun).

That much she had managed to gather from snippets and several of Sten's remarks. The Arishok himself symbolized the body of the Qun and was the leader of the military, of which Sten was part of. Even his own name was a mere designation of his position in the army, equivalent roughly to calling someone from an army Lieutenant all the time. Needless to say, it was certainly a very different thing from what she was accustomed to.

However, she may not understand completely Sten's culture but she was willing to put an effort to it. She didn't miss the fact that was perhaps the reason he wasn't nearly as curt and abrupt when she asked about it.

It still didn't negate that she still found it hard to understand.

"How so?"

"You're a Grey Warden. Therefore, it follows that you _can't_ be a woman."

"That absolutely makes no sense… at least to me. Is it perhaps another rule of the Qun?"

"Humans, dwarves, elves… they are all born as such without choice, just as they didn't have a choice to be clever or foolish, whether they wanted to have brown or blond hair. One doesn't simply choose to be, he already is. As such, a male's role might be to be a soldier yet a female's role will never be to be a soldier. One can't be a female and be skilled at war at the same time. Such thing would imply the female is really a male, and therefore, that the _Tamassrans_ made a grave mistake in selecting his role."

"But it still doesn't make sense. A female, no matter what if she fights, will still be biologically a female!"

"The biological implications are left to the _Tamassrans,_ as it's their role. Socially, he would be a male, regardless of appearance. Wardens are regarded as fearsome warriors of unmatched skill, thus my confusion. A female can't be a Warden."

"But one can decide what to be. He or she can't decide which species is born as or the gender, but they can choose their role."

"Can they? We'll see…"

"Besides, you're trying to apply your philosophical guidelines to cultures completely different to yours.

"_Parshaara_! We're supposed to fight the darkspawn not chatter until they grow bored and leave!"

Suffice to say, Neria was even more confused whenever he got snappish and ended their discussions, leaving her with unfinished questions.

Frustrating, to say the least but she should feel lucky he'd talked as much as he did that time. Normally his vocabulary didn't expand to more than monosyllabic words or just mere grunts.

Thankfully though, their philosophy arguments were not the only highlight of their travel.

Naruto, Alistair and Sten had taken to spar whenever they had a chance. It certainly was a good idea. Sten was basically a heavy hitter, he would catch you by surprise if you underestimated him by his size but he dealt mainly with pure strength. A well connected hit from his great sword and you would be a gonner for sure. Alistair was a well rounded fighter, without overspecializing. Then there was Naruto… he was a special case, alright. In the spars, it was obvious to her –and to Sten and Alistair as well- that he was holding back, quite so.

However, even like this, Naruto was basically an army by himself. He could hit hard and fast and be at many places at the same time, literally, but in the spars he mainly used his speed to fight. The spars by themselves would make them get used to the others' fighting styles, allowing for more coordination in the battlefield. Marcus sadly couldn't participate in them as his arm was still trying to fix itself and the feet that used to be a bloody thing still felt on fire, as he'd told her. Morrigan surprisingly gave him a medicine that lessened the sensation and when asked, she merely stated it was a salve she learnt from her "mother".

Still, whenever Neria saw an especially hard combination of strikes between two of the sparring fighters, from which neither was really bruised, she couldn't help the giddy feeling that they were getting somewhere. That they were making real progress. Sometimes, even the bickering between Alistair and Morrigan seemed to lessen, something that Leliana delightedly pointed out to her.

Leliana… she had apologized to her as well. Admittedly, Naruto's words had probably helped a lot to allow her to cool off enough to see the point and actually apologize to the redhead. She had blown thing out of proportion, in no small part due to her annoyance at the Chantry sister for her religious propaganda and treated her harshly because of that. That's not to say Leliana's moral views were right or wrong, they just were, but for the sake of the mission, there couldn't be real animosity between the members of the group.

And so, she had swallowed her pride and the thoughts she was in the right and apologized for her words at Soldier's and explained part of the reason she had exploded as well. Leliana was not a bad person, quite the contrary. She was rather bubbly and happy most of the time, it was just that she could be greatly annoying at times, especially when she started talking about religion… Maker this, Maker that…

Still she was confident they would be able to regain some sort of their former friendship.

Liryan for her part had been pretty forthcoming when Alistair had asked her for her story, even though she had been reluctant at first. She had scolded him for being so tactless but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in Lyrian's story either. Thankfully, she had taken no offense, waving it off, and gave Alistair a more detailed narration of her past months than what she had told Naruto and her.

Her story only served to cement the thought that most of the ruling class thought themselves superior to mere peasants, no to say elves, which were seen even lower than that. However, Liryan reacted badly when something could be harmful to Marcus' well-being, be it physical or mental, as proved when Leliana, interest piqued, had asked him about his own story. She had done so tactfully but Lyrian had immediately jumped in, acting all defensive, seeing as Marcus had quieted down so much that it was almost scary.

Neria though, did her best to hide her smiles. It was really obvious how very protective Lyrian was of Marcus but she wouldn't have seen past it if Leliana hadn't commented at one point she was already waiting for those two to realize their feelings. Or at least, Lyrian's. Although the squeals after that, she could do without.

However, Marcus quickly defused the stand-off and agreed to explain some of his story. Turns out a friend of his father had betrayed them in a cowardly manner and used their trust in him to launch a surprise attack when their castle was at its lowest in regards to numbers of soldiers to ensure that his power grab would be successful. None survived, not the servant, not the stationed guards, not his father, not his mother… no one except him and his mabari. For just a single moment, Neria was able to see the fury and hate in his eyes, hidden behind that veil of dead emotion.

"I am going to hunt him down and when I do, I will make him pay for every soldier, every child, every good man and woman that died for his lust for power. For Oriana. For Oren. For Father and Mother. He will beg for mercy but he won't get it, just as my people didn't receive mercy from his soldiers. I will make him wish he were dead and when he begs for death, I will give him none."

No one spoke after that but Neria didn't doubt the sincerity of his words for even a second as she suppressed a shiver of fear. In Marcus' mind, Howe's fate was already decided, a certainty. It was merely a matter of time.

It had been a surprise to discover Marcus' family friend was the same Rendon Howe Shaevra had been complaining about in Denerim but with all the crazy things that had already happened, she found herself shrugging it off rather easily. However, she didn't tell Marcus anything about it, he was crippled and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Ignorance is bliss, as they say, and hopefully, he wouldn't find out about Howe's current location.

He would confront his family's killer in time, but only when he was ready.

And so, with the feeling they knew each other a little more, the group finally reached Kinloch Hold.

xxOOOOxx

Kinloch Hold was certainly a beautiful place. During the day, the sun shimmers on the water of Lake Calenhad, bringing out perhaps some of the most beautiful reflections on it. Around the shore of the lake, the water doesn't go deep and it has a lovely shade of pale green. The different birds in the forest around the small settlement near the shore-line are always chirping about, lifting, if only slightly, the spirits of whoever listens to them. There's a certain calm breeze around the place, not quite warm yet not quite cold, that the inhabitants swear is a byproduct of so much magic around. They can't agree whether this is a bad or a good thing, though they all agree it makes for a certainly stable and warm weather all year. Basically, Kinloch Hold is a sight to behold during the day.

Too bad the group arrived at night.

One would assume that the pale moon gazing at them could be considered a beautiful sight, but the still silence permeating the air painted a slightly foreboding feeling and everyone in the group shifted a little, feeling suddenly apprehensive.

No one was out -probably sleeping already- except a lone templar standing guard in the docks. He kept throwing worried glances at the imposing figure of the Tower.

Having held a vote, the quick and unanimous decision was to spend the night at the Tower, just to enjoy for a night a nice, warm bed and not the rough soil. Of course, securing the alliance of the mages came in close second place, but since Neria herself was the pride of the First Enchanter, they expected to get it fairly quick.

Morrigan herself had a hard time deciding whether she preferred spending a night on the wilderness or with the close proximity of the templars. She'd lived all her life in the wilderness but the chance to enjoy accommodations far greater to what she was used to was a opportunity she wasn't going to pass, never mind the templars _or _the general populace of mages, who'd let themselves be foolishly caged.

With that in mind, the group marched towards the lone templar who raised an eyebrow at them.

"You! What do you want? The Towers is off limits to everyone right now!"

Neria, at the forefront of the group, raised an eyebrow. "I very much doubt that. I'm a mage from this same Circle and I have several people in need of the skill of a proficient healer spirit. Aside from that, I'm a Warden and I have the right to go to the Tower if I so choose to. I need to speak to Irving as quickly as possible."

"Grey Warden, you say? My snot-nosed cousin can tell better lies even when he's caught red-handed nicking cookies. Well, prove it, then. Do some Grey Warden shit or something."

A tic started to make its work on her eye. Was this guy for real? But then, she let out a devious smirk.

"I don't have to prove anything, especially to _you_. I remember you, Carroll. What would Greagoir say if he was told one certain templar nicked several more ounces of lyrium than he's allowed to?"

It was a feasible threat and they all knew it. Carroll too, if the sudden unhealthy shade of white of his face was anything to go by. The stuttering didn't help, either.

With a smirk, she soon accepted not telling Greagoir anything in exchange for Carroll bringing them to the Tower. Thankfully, the boat itself –which she recognized as Kester's- was pretty big in case of eventualities and they all managed to get onboard, though not without being a little cramped.

However, nothing could have ever prepared for what was expecting them at the Tower.

The Entrance Hall was a mess of templars running about, of broken and injured people, as several of the most uninjured-looking templars piled whatever they could find in front of the double-door gate that lead to the other parts of the Tower. It was pure, undiluted chaos. Greagoir himself was screaming at the templars to pick up the pace. The months since she had left the Tower had not been really kind to him, Neria noted, as she examined the heavy dark bags under his eyes.

"The doors… they are barring them but I don't see any mage here. What's going on?" Alistair wondered with a worried look.

Resolutely, Neria marched towards Greagoir, who soon noticed her and made an ugly face of shock and disgust. For their part, the templars all stopped whatever tasks they were doing and positioned themselves around the room, in case of any hostile actions. Leliana, Lyriana and Marcus (who was heavily leaning on his friend) didn't strike a very menacing aura but the most seasoned of the templars hadn't survived their encounters with apostates and blood mages for underestimating a possible hostile.

"Surana. You've got a lot of nerve to come here again after what happened last time. Where is Jowan now? Perhaps you've hidden him somewhere? What about his blood magic, heh?"

Neria gritted her teeth in anger at the jeering tone but managed to keep her composure, knowing every templar present was watching all her movements. She could feel the stares of her companions on her and she hoped Greagoir's rant wouldn't come back and bite her in the ass.

"Yet you seem to forget that Jowan never told me of his dabbling in blood magic."

The Knight-Commander merely snorted. "And I still think it's a very convenient excuse." Greagoir let out a weary sigh. "What does a Grey Warden want with the Circle anyway? We're in the middle of a crisis right now."

"That much is obvious…" Naruto's voice came from behind but Leliana shushed him.

"I came here looking for the Circle's help in order to defeat the Blight. The Circle is bound by ancient treaties to uphold its given word," Neria explained as she showed him the document. "And where are all the mages? Where… where is Irving?"

"… I shall speak plainly then. The Tower is no longer under our control. Demons and abominations run amok in the Tower halls. I don't know how it came to be."

"What?! Abominations in the Tower?!" Whatever the group was expecting, Neria certainly spoke for all of them in her reaction… well, most of them.

"The demons started to tear everyone apart, templars and mages alike. We couldn't defeat them and realizing this, I ordered my men to flee and form a defensive perimeter in order to contain the demonic outbreak."

"This is the reason why we sew the mouths of our mages shut." Sten merely stated but Neria was too shocked to even think of a rebuke. The Tower, overrun? It was almost ludicrous to even take it seriously but seeing the exhausted and fatigued faces of the templars made it all real.

"But… Irving! Tell me he's okay! He's the First Enchanter, he couldn't be possessed by a demon!"

"… We lost notice of Irving during the first stages of this madness. No mages arrived to our position and I couldn't let the abominations leave the Tower... We barred the way, leaving everyone else behind."

Everything seemed to freeze up for Neria, _'I couldn't let the abominations leave the Tower. I couldn't… I couldn't… abominations… everyone else behind...' _

An aura of wild magic exploded around Neria and several tendrils swirled about around certain parts of Neria's body, creating a construct of magic suspiciously similar to what had happened in that tomb in the Brecilian forest, where they had found Naruto. Morrigan, who had been to one to see such thing back then, noticed the strange phenomena again and narrowed her eyes. First time is the surprise but the second time sets the pattern. Something fishy was going on with their de facto leader and she intended to find out just what, exactly.

Unfortunately for Neria, she never noticed this, drown in the hateful fury she currently was feeling. With a guttural scream, she flung herself at Greagoir.

"You bastard! You damned murdered! There were more than a hundred of children! CHILDREN! And you left them all to die! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! All the mages that could have survived, all the Senior Enchanters, you just left them to DIE! AND IRVING, YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO FIND HIM! You coward! You fucking templar! And you wonder why mages feel oppressed!"

Neria's furious outburst was so sudden it managed to catch them all off guard, even Naruto himself, but he quickly put his training as shinobi to use, even before everyone else began to move. He immediately appeared behind Neria and tried to restrain her but her own magic, aiding her mistress' wishes, wildly lashed out in the form of electric currents that coursed through his body.

Naruto grunted with a grimace as he tried to shrug off the pain. Neria's powers were stronger than he'd previously believed. He'd thought little could actually hurt him enough to pose a threat in this world but Neria's electrical discharge sure passed the criteria. He tightened his grasp on her as she violently tried to free herself from Naruto's hold.

"Let me go, Naruto! LET ME GO! I'll kill you, Greagoir! I'll kill YOU!" She wildly screamed as she struggled against Naruto.

Greagoir groaned as he was forced to shift his nose to its usual position. One of Neria's punches had definitely struck home and thoroughly broken it. It hurt like hell. All the templars had formed a defensive line in front of him, eyeing with wary gazes the struggling Neria, swords drawn, but Alistair and the others had put themselves as well between them, ready to act at a moment's notice. Many kept an eye on the two mabaris present in the hall, mindful of their tense bodies. They all knew the mabaris' renowned fame as indomitable warhounds.

Greagoir spoke after a moment, a slightly muffled nasal tone in his due to his broken tone. "Despite what you may think of me, Surana, we would have helped the mages, had we been able to. As templars, we must think of Ferelden's safety before everything, however."

Greagoir took this certain secret to his grave, but the hateful glare Neria sent his way that moment was one of the most unsettling things he ever felt. Not even one second he ever thought of it as fear. He never admitted to himself the terror he felt in his bones when he looked at her eyes. He'd seen many things during his life but there was something in those eyes that gave him cold shivers.

Neria, for her part, had stopped struggling and now remained unnaturally quiet. Seeing this, Naruto nodded to himself. "Will you stop trying to kill this guy, Neria?" he asked softly to her. He really could understand her position but going on a rampage would certainly not help their case.

After a moment, she nodded mutely and Naruto relinquished her hold of her. All the templars tensed but she ignored them all together. Instead, she turned to her group.

"Prepare yourselves. We're going inside and we _will_ find survivors," she curtly told them. With anticipation, they all set to do just as she said.

"Now, wait there Surana. You can't possibly think we're going to let you go in there, do you? In your emotional state, you're more of a menace to everyone than anything else. Don't think I haven't seen your apostate friend, either."

"You don't hold power over me, _Greagoir,_" she replied, spitting the name as if it was a foul thing. "As a Grey Warden, it's my duty to do everything in my power to stop the Blight. If I have to go through you to get past those blasted doors, believe me, I will. I will find Irving, something you're all too coward to do yourself and I won't be stopped."

Greagoir hesitated for a moment but then he seemed to come to a decision. He stepped aside with a resigned look. However, he wasn't finished speaking.

"… I sent notice to the Grand Cleric for permission to invoke the Right of Annulment. That was a week ago, perhaps a little more. If you're going to do something, do it _quick_."

"... We will," she coldly stated.

She wasn't really surprised that permission for the Right of Annulment had been asked but it still was another brutal twisting of the knife in her heart. Her home, all the children, those few friends and acquaintances she had here, Irving… all in chaos, more than likely all dead. But she wouldn't allow herself to waver, she would fight her way to her mentor. Irving knew more tricks and had more magical knowledge than anyone else in the Tower. He was alive, of that she was sure. He _had_ to be alive!

Several of her companions were understandably confused when the concept was brought up, as it really wasn't common knowledge. However, a templar explained it to them in hushed whispers when asked about it.

Neria though, went directly to the quartermaster. He looked downright terrified of her but she couldn't care less. The beautiful staff hanging in the wall, though… now, that was another thing. Nodding to herself, she grabbed it. The staff was powerful, much more so than Winter's Breath, even when the latter had a little boost due to the demonic energy left by the Desire demon. But this new staff felt even better than that. However, there was only one way to find out which was more potent.

Dislodging Winter's Breath, she left it leaning against the wall and strapped her new staff on the back. As she started moving to the gate, however, she was stopped by the quartermaster's flustered voice.

"Now you see here, you've gotta pay for that! You just can't waltz in and grab it just like that!"

Turning to face him, she challenged him. "I can and already have. If I'm going to risk my life inside the Tower, I need the best equipment and since you're obviously in no need for it, I'm claiming possession of it. We need everything useful against the Blight and this will certainly help. Really, how did you expect to sell this staff in a place where mages don't have the money to buy it? It will be more useful in the upcoming fight than gathering dust on the wall."

"Wha… but I…!"

"I'm curious, though. What's the staff's name?"

"I… I don't know! It's said it belonged to Magister Tlaxius, when Tevinter invaded Ferelden. Who knows the real name? But you have to pay me for it!"

Already ignoring the man, Neria left him in a sputtering mess as she joined her group in front of the doors. At least the templars worked quickly.

"Marcus," she called out as she approached the noble, who raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to stay here? You're the one worst off of us and no one would think badly of you if you chose to stay."

Marcus looked thoughtful for a second but then shook his head with a chuckle. "I did say I'd help you, Warden Surana, and I try to keep my promises. Besides, Lyrian would never let me live it down. The annoyance would be too much for me, I think." He joked.

"Damn straight I wouldn't!" said person exclaimed before punching him in the arm with a huff. "And I'm not an annoyance."

"No, you really aren't," Marcus sarcastically said, too low for Lyrian to hear.

"Surana, we will bar the doors after your entry and I won't open them until I hear Irving's voice assuring me everything is under control. I hope for you and your companions' sake that you know what you're getting into."

"Do what you will. We've wasted enough time," was the cold reply.

With those words, the group stepped into the demon-infested Tower, with the gates ominously closing behind them.

"Alright guys… Listen up, demons are nasty business but if you're careful enough we should be okay. It's possible that we may find demons who will try to lure you in with false promises in order to possess you. Before any of you asks me, I will say this. All of you are potentially capable of being possessed. However, while any demon possessing a weak mage is still dangerous, a possessed non-mage is only as strong as the demon possessing him or her. There's no known way to revert the process, so if anyone of you starts to show signs of possession or is unable to resist their promises, the others will have to cut him or her down before the possession fully takes effect. Did I forget anything of importance, Morrigan?"

Said woman hummed thoughtfully for a moment but shook her head. "I don't believe so, no."

"We can get possessed, too? You can't be serious…" Lyrian muttered with a worried expression with Brina rubbing herself against the elf's legs in an attempt to make her regain some confidence.

"Oh trust me, it happens more than you'd think," replied Morrigan easily enough with an amused smirk.

Neria nodded before turning to Naruto. "Right. Naruto, you think you could use that… jutsu of yours to create more you's and serve as scouts? They must collect everything of value they find and any document like journals or things like such that could give us… an idea about what happened here."

"I almost thought you had forgotten about it, honestly. Do you want them to take out any hostile they find?"

The unspoken question was there but she shook her head after a moment, hardening her eyes ever so slightly.

"… No, I… I must do this with my own hands. We're all together in this."

Nodding at her, he turned around to get as much as space as he could. He didn't allow Neria see the somber and slightly saddened look that briefly crossed his face. _'So much for trying to keep her innocence intact…' _Sighing quietly, he formed the Ram seal more for reminiscence's sake than anything else. It just felt _right._

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Instantly, twenty clouds of smoke appeared in front of him, attracting the attention of everyone else. Naruto smirked at the indispensable gasps of surprise when twenty identical Narutos appeared from the collective smokescreen. He however couldn't help the tic in his forehead when one of his clones henged into a slightly buffer version of himself with shades, winking roguishly at the ladies present after removing the shades.

"Call me Uzumaki, ladies. Naruto Uzumaki. What can I _do _for you?"

He was promptly dispelled by a punch from real Naruto, who had a deadpan expression.

"If any of you even so much thinks of doing shit like that again, you'll wish you weren't created at all in the first place. Is that understood, my cannon fodde… I mean, my minions?"

Needless to say, the others agreed pretty quickly.

"Good, you all know what to do. Gather everything you find of value here, in the entrance. If you find useful or vital information, dispel yourselves and let me know. Scour every floor but avoid any living being that looks hostile."

"Hostile, as in what?"

"How the heck should I know? Figure it out, that's what I'm sending you first."

With a grumble amongst the clones that closely resembled the words "cannon fodder", they were off.

"Holy shit, what was that?! He-he made copies of himself! Is he a mage too?!" a dumbfounded Marcus asked the others, who all except Neria looked mostly shocked by his technique though not to the extent of Marcus and Lyrian's surprise, who didn't know about his special abilities.

"Naruto here is not a mage. He's, in his own words, a shinobi. They deal with another kind of energy."

"Which is called chakra, a combination of physical and spiritual energy." He explained. "Those were clones of myself, created by splitting my chakra reserves in equal parts, and are especially useful in regards to information gathering as I receive their memories when they dispel."

"… That _does_ sound useful, yes. It still looks pretty magical to me, though."

"Uzumaki, I hope for your sake your… clones don't get any ideas. That is, if you value your life." Morrigan threatened with a cold stare but Naruto pushed down the snort he was about to let out.

"You know I could snap your neck like a twig in a second, right?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Nu-uh, just saying."

They moved as one towards the next section of the Tower as two clones were already looking for valuables in the apprentices' quarters. They weren't expecting to find survivors so soon though. Neria recognized immediately Wynne, Senior Enchanter. There were several mages with robes that signaled they'd passed their Harrowing but they were standing protectively in front of a dozen children.

Wynne herself was squaring off against a particularly vicious Rage demon but she was able to defeat it, even though she seemed really tired afterwards. The passage in front of her was blocked by a magical barrier though.

"Well, I honestly thought the old woman would fall to kill that demon," Morrigan muttered amusedly and Wynne quickly turned to them at the sound of her voice.

"Who are you? You are obviously not mage apprentices. Wait… I recognize you, Surana. You were at Ostagar… but I thought all Grey Wardens died that night."

"Well, obviously not, since I'm standing right here," was the snarky reply. She really never liked Wynne. She was always too stern and obsessed with rules. Well, it wasn't as much a matter of dislike as it was a matter of annoyance. Her attitude annoyed her.

"What are you doing here then, shouldn't you be dealing with the Blight?"

"That's exactly what we're doing. We need to raise an army from scratch, thanks to Loghain. The mages are needed for this war. We wanted to speak with Irving but we found this mess instead."

"… About that, I know how close you were to Irving. I'm sorry that-" Wynne said with a pitying glance at Neria but the young Warden cut her off with a sharp glare.

"Enough. We will find Irving."

"Very well, then. Let me come with you. Otherwise, I won't dispel the barrier."

"Neria, I hope we're not seriously considering doing this. Why should we help these fools? They let themselves be caged willingly. An individual who values not their freedom does not deserve our help. Let them enjoy the leash they allow themselves to be put on their necks," Morrigan urged, thoroughly irked by this place already. These mages completely disgusted her, so blind that they couldn't see beyond these damp, pale marble walls.

Sten muttered something in contradiction to Morrigan's words but Neria didn't notice, too engrossed in her own thoughts. She really didn't want Wynne to tag along but she couldn't deny the fact her healing abilities would be immensely useful in their task.

"It's not something that can be helped, Morrigan. We need their help to defeat the Blight. We know your opinion about the Circle but their abilities are invaluable against this kind of threat. Think of it as a necessary evil to reach our goal." She reasoned and Morrigan sighed despairingly.

"Next time we'll be helping old hags with their babies. Very well, if this is what you wish…"

"You would consort with apostates? The Circle does not abide to such thing. It will not stand for this," the '_I will not stand for this'_ went unspoken.

"You forget that I am not part of the Circle anymore, even if it was my home, Wynne. I don't expect you to understand but you will _not_ attack Morrigan. She's one of my companions and as Grey Warden, my political immunity extends to her. The others as well." She added and Morrigan sent an extremely smug look at the old mage.

"... Very well. I will trust your judgment. Let us hope your trust is not misplaced."

That. That is what annoyed her the most. Wynne assuming automatically the moral high ground, as if saying, _'I could've done better than you. Chosen a wiser option.'_ Inhaling deeply, Neria forced herself to remain calm. She had enough on her plate already and she was still trying to completely calm down from her previous outburst.

"Before that, I have some of my friends injured. Since you're the best Healer around, I trust it won't be hard to mend their wounds."

And it wasn't. Leliana's ribcage was completely healed and she delightedly said she didn't have trouble breathing anymore. Alistair's injures were even smaller than Leliana's but Wynne sprayed him with a dose of Creation magic just in case. Marcus was a trickier thing but thankfully his arm and foot were completely healed. He however, would walk with a limp for a few days till his body got completely used to healing magic. Therefore, it was decided unanimously that since Wynne would come with them, Marcus and Brina would stay with the other mages as added protection to the children. Marcus quickly protested the decision but Lyrian instantly decided she would stay as well when she heard that and she made sure to shut Marcus up as quick as possible.

"Alright, I think we're all set. Wynne, lower the barrier. We've got some cleaning to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> Well, well, well, I wonder what's going on that little complex head of Naruto's. For that matter, if you can't figure out who's with him in the second phase of Dream Sequence, then don't bother asking me about it. I left enough clues as it is.

Writing Sten and about the Qun is still perhaps one of the hardest things I've ever done. I spent the better part of an hour and half going through several pages just to understand the complexity of the Qun and its views about females. I got the idea alright, just that when I wanted to write about it or even expand it a little bit, I found staring blankly at my keyboard and screen, in that order.

However, I seriously hope, the Sten/Neria argument made some sort of sense, even if a part is borrowed dialogue from the game itself.

Looking for a celtic name for Marcus' mabari, I found the name of Andraste. I was pleasantly surprised to see it, shows that each day you learn a new thing: Andraste — "victory". British war goddess worshipped by Queen Boadicea (Gaelic Boudicca). Interesting history class for today. And _yes, _Brina is a female celtic name that means 'portector' or so the net says, you never know...

I'm not one hundred percent sure about the caps in Neria's outburst, however. I tried to make it as if she was punctuating her own words in those moments with a higher tone. At least, that's the explanation my brain gave me every time I tried to think why.

Let me know what you all think, people. See ya in next chapter, hopefully with more action than this one. And perhaps the introduction of a new character?


	10. Broken Circle - Shattered Innocence

We got past the one hundred reviews mark! Wohoo, this gotta be celebrated *uncorks champagne bottle* Good thing I stole the money from the tax collectors. Stuff keeps getting costlier. And with this chapter, we got past the one hundred thousand words too! And this is the tenth chapter, if you count the prologue! We've gotten a lot of milestones with this one! I'm happy!

Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed/ favorite/followed the story with the last chapter. Thanks to **G3neSyS** (you're amazing, you know that?), **GreyMan19**, **ShadowWulf00**, **Dragonfan91**, **xZarkko**, **pucflek**, **death77**, **chris1901,** ** ,** **TheGreatBubbaJ **(your level of epicness went past 9000!), **Igornerd **and** Minato 1** for their comments! Nothing else y, since I replied to every one of you through PM (at least, I think I did) but it makes me happy to see all of you only had nice comments for the chapter!

Special thanks to **TheGreatBubbaJ, **who was the 100th reviewer for The Forgotten! We're now at 103 reviews. Will we get to two hundred? We'll have to see, I guess!

Nothing much to say here this time, except one thing. I want to assure everyone anxious to know more about Naruto's past that some things will be revealed shortly, in the next one. I did want to put it in this one but it was already too big to put the scene in this chapter. Of course, we'll have to get to the Sacred Ashes quest for the full truth but I hope the future info at least gives you much desired info about the matter.

At the end of the chapter you will see the longer note. I recommend reading it.

So, with that out of the way, let's see what the group I going to do!

As usual, if you spot any grammatical mistake or slip up on the coherency of the story, feel free to let me know so I can fix it.

**I have decided to up the rating of this story to M so the constrictions or rating contents don't hinder my writing. The change will be applied with the release of the next chapter.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Naruto nor Dragon Age: Origins.

**[24/02/14]:** Fixed several small grammatical mistakes. Fixed a coherency issue in the clone scene, thanks to everyone who pointed it out. The Amell Origin character's name has been changed to Solana, since it flows easier on the tongue.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter nine<strong>

**Broken Circle – Shattered Innocence**

Weisshaupt fortress was an ancient building of unmatched sturdiness. Sitting on the edge of a jagged butte called Broken Tooth, it was the legendary Headquarters of the Grey Wardens. It was veritable stuff of legends and it had been the source of inspiration for romantic poets with fondness for far away locations, habited by a mysterious and ancient order.

The fortress itself was an amalgam of sharp ends and straight lines, matching the grim personality of the Anders people. Darkspawn could appear anywhere, anytime and after so many centuries since the First Blight, it had shaped the people of Anderfels. For the Anders, Darkspawn were not something used to scare children during night or to make them behave. They were a reality, a terrible fate for their people and their land with no light at the end of the tunnel. Theirs were a life of fear. But from their fear they took strength. They trained their young in armed combat from a young age and even if they were politically weak, the nation itself could present a hardened, experienced and skilled army.

However, while Weisshaupt was still grand, long had its glory days past, now just a mere shadow of its former strength. The fortress, once housing more than a thousand of Wardens available at any time and the thriving griffons which their heraldry was known for, now was just a broken and cold place for the odd five hundred Wardens stationed around.

However, even in these circumstances, there was one conversation being taken place that could prove to be important in the future events to unfold.

"Are we not going to send Wardens to Ferelden or what? You know as well as I that this is clearly a Blight!"

"There's no confirmation about that, although I'll admit is the most likely case."

"Most likely case?! Are you even listening to what you're saying? Loghain in all his foolishness betrayed the King and left all our Fereldan Wardens to die at Ostagar! Now the darkspawn march unchallenged through the country and it won't be long until it falls under their sword. And you know it's a Blight just as well as I do! It's just a matter of time; the nobles are too busy fighting between them like rabid dogs for the meager scraps of power to be able to form a cohesive armed front."

"While the threat of the Blight shouldn't be underestimated, you worry too much, Christiën. We can't help Ferelden by now, poor sods. Orlais is busy enough as it is with this latest social unrest. Tevinter is too far away to even care about Ferelden and they already have to worry about the Qunari. Antiva is just not going to send people if they aren't immediately threatened by the darkpsawn. And so on with every other nation. I don't like it, but Ferelden stands alone in this."

"But Emric!"

However, Emric, the First Warden, had had enough. "Enough, High Constable! You're overstepping your boundaries. I feel for Ferelden, I truly do, but as it is, we can do nothing about the situation." He stated with a cold, steely voice.

However, Christiën merely narrowed his eyes as his nostrils flared in anger.

"Now, go and oversee those reports of the latest recruitments, will you?" Emric drawled. "I need to write a letter to Marius."

Christiën could see a dismissal when he was given one. Angrily clenching his jaw, he furiously stormed out of the First Warden quarters, slamming the door behind him. It was already night and thankfully, not many were still awake.

However, as soon as he was out of the more used sections of the fortress, he allowed a small satisfied smile appear on his face. Leaning on the stone railing and staring at the pale moon, he nodded in satisfaction. It had been harder than expected to maintain his ruse, but thankfully, that poisonous viper of a First Warden still thought nothing of his words.

Thank Andraste for small blessings.

As if it wasn't enough that the king of Anderfelds was a stupid buffoon playing the tyrant with his people, their own First Warden now was more worried about politicking and gaining true political power than taking up the ancient task so many others had honorably carried before him. In his eyes, that was the harshest disrespect that could be given to all those that gave their lives for something far more important than them.

He would not stand for this, absolutely not. As High Constable of the Grey Wardens, it was his duty to uphold and he would do so, even if others forgot their sacred oaths.

Thankfully, he had managed to close off the reports incoming from Ferelden to the First Warden, keeping him in the dark as much as he could. He was only aware of the Blight and the political and social unrest in the country, which lead him to believe Ferelden would surely fall. Inertia was the only thing keeping the country on its feet, like a corpse that still hadn't registered the fact that its head had been cut off. At least, that what Emric thought of the matter.

However, Christiën knew better. Two lone Grey Wardens had survived the clusterfuck that was the Battle of Ostagar and from what his informants had reported to him, they were trying their hardest to amass an army to combat the threat. His heart soared with pride every time he thought about them. Defying all odds, they stood against the Blight as Ferelden's only hope. Time and time again, they proved that Grey Wardens were better than most at their occupation.

He could only hope that they would be able to defeat the horde, though his heart grew heavy with those thoughts. All previous Blights had lasted centuries. Their fate was grim, at best.

Christiën burrowed himself deeper into his comfortable winter cloak, in an effort to protect himself better against the chilly currents of wind.

If they managed to defeat the horde… if they truly accomplished it… he'd be damned if he allowed Emric to take the credit. He'd see those two Wardens honored for their sacrifices and the Slayer would be given the highest of honors, next to Garahel, Lucien, Sersana and Carinus; he'd make sure of it.

However, as much as he loathed admitting it, the help he could give them was circumstantial at best and he wasn't sure if it really would be true help. No, he had to play his strengths… Many Wardens had unspoken criticism against Emric, he could use that to his advantage. It would take time and it had a great chance of being foiled, but if everything went smoothly, he would make sure to out Emric as First Warden. He would need to send word to his most trusted, though. He'd have to contact Kilina as soon as he could. Call the old guard back together once again.

He traced the jagged, ugly scar that went from his temple to the middle of his right cheek, almost to his jaw line. A parting gift from an especially tough vanguard hurlock. A reminder of how short life could be.

" In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice. This is what it means to be a Grey Warden…"

The motto, _his _motto, still managed to create a wave of emotion course through his body, even after all these years. His was the watch without recognition. Christiën glared at the approaching blizzard. No one mocked so blatantly everything the Wardens stood for just and got away unscathed.

Not on his bloody watch.

xxxOOOOxx

"Useless… Useless… Stupid… Junk… Junk… Eh, disturbing thing which I don't want to know about… paper tissue, heh, someone sure had to blow some steam off… Wait… what the- just how do these brats manage to smuggle these kinds of things into this place?"

"Look for something useful instead of whining like a little bitch," clone two snapped angrily.

"I do _not _whine like a little bitch, bastard! I was just wondering a perfectly reasonable question!"

"Well, your head is full of useless mush, then. You're a clone, act like one!"

"Oh yeah? And how does a clone act like, huh?"

"Well, I don't know! You're one, you tell me!"

"You're a clone too, smartass!" clone one shouted while throwing the most threatening thing he could find in the apprentices quarters at clone one: a pillow.

Clone two simply smirked amusedly, easily sidestepping the dangerous weapon. "Oh well, you're stupid."

"_You_'_re_ stupid!"

"Nuh-uh."

"Agh, whatever!" Clone one angrily blew him off as he started reading a piece of parchment from a novice's journal. Its contents, however, managed to turn him serious. "Uh oh."

"Now what? I swear, if this is something stupid…"

"No, it isn't… Seems like some apprentices were too ambitious for their own good…"

Clone two nodded slowly with a thoughtful expression. "So, you gonna tell boss?"

"Yeah."

"… Good."

Poor clone one never saw it coming. Caught off guard, the dagger imbedded deep into his skull, dispelling him immediately in a small poof of smoke. The visage of clone twof's smiling face was a telling clue.

"Ah, sweet, merciful silence… That actually felt better than expected, you know… Well then, back to work, I guess."

xxOOOxx

Meanwhile, the group had started their path towards Irving's quarters and so far, they had not encountered any enemy but they all knew it was a matter of time. They were currently going towards the library, from which they would go to the second floor.

"So tell me, Surana, if you're a mage, how is it possible for you to be wearing armor? And what are those tattoos?"

"Well, if you must know, any mage should be able to use armor, given enough time training. He or she would train their muscles, but at the cost of letting their magical abilities go to waste. Let's just say… I took by accident a shortcut to that end. I stumbled upon a way to channel my magic to strengthen myself physically, without harmful side effects to my body or magic."

"No shortcut is good enough. You will find that they do not give you the same results as if you trained yourself." Wynne lectured with a shake of her head but Neria only snorted at her words.

"I don't think you're one to tell me that Wynne, seeing as it's me the one with this ability, not you. Trust me, I know myself better than anyone else," she answered with a flat look. "And my tattoos, as you call them, are vallaslin, blood writing. They recognize me as an adult in Dalish society and were given to me as a sign of trust and friendship from the Keeper of one of their clans." She proudly explained with a smile. The vallaslin on her face was perhaps one of the things she treasured most, for everything it stood for and meant to her specifically.

Just as Wynne opened her mouth to reply however, Naruto suddenly appeared to the younger mage's side and whispered something close to her ear. Listening closely, she nodded shortly afterwards.

"Good, thank you for letting me know, Naruto."

The others certainly didn't miss the byplay but if they found it odd, they didn't comment on it.

However, Wynne found the former apprentice of mage staring at her with an even look. "Nonetheless, the ability I found by chance is a long lost one. I received it from the memories of an elf that could possibly have lived during when Arlathan still existed or close to that time. So, in a way, this ability is my legacy as well."

"Arlathan… is it, truly? You should impart your knowledge of it to others, then. There's much we could learn from it and we may never have such a chance to record lost magic from Arlathan." The Spirit Healer spoke with excitement building in her eyes. Who knows the kind of things they could learn, the lost magics of might Arlathan were often thought as stuff of wonders.

Neria tilted her head, as if pondering Wynne's reasoning. "We'll see…" She didn't say anything else but she really didn't have any intention of doing that. The Arcane Warrior abilities were something that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands. Neria could understand where Wynne was coming from but there were too many variables.

Besides, it wasn't as if Neria herself had fully mastered it yet and there were also… unexpected complications… Neria rubbed her temples frustratedly. She hadn't told anyone, not even Alistair or Naruto, but she'd started having strange dreams. They were disjointed at bests but they seemed… _felt_ connected in some way. Every time she had one of those, she could recall most of what she'd dreamed after waking up but it was still too soon to make any kind of conjecture. They only showed meaningless things that really didn't tell anything of importance, at least for now. However, she had a hunch that it was somehow connected to the set of abilities of the Arcane Warriors, lost to the flows of time. One of the likeliest theories she had was that the elf trapped in the life gem was linked to it but again, it was too soon to tell.

One thing was certain though, the dreams were trying to give her some type of information and it would be a long time until Neria seriously considered the possibility of teaching someone these abilities.

They soon arrived to the library and they all could hear the animalistic sounds originating from the inside. There were abominations inside. Everyone steeled their nerves, they had all fought against abominations already in Soldier's Peak but it was still a disturbing experience to many and they were no different. They simply were better at not allowing the disturbing images to paralyze them.

Neria sighed deeply, trying to soothe her nerves. Every fiber of her being screamed at her that this was wrong, that this shouldn't have happened. But it _had_ happened and running away would not solve anything.

"Alright… Wynne, as our healer, stay back from the fight and help anyone you see in trouble. Fang, you will stay with her in case an abomination tries to get a shot at her," Neria started explaining. Fang bobbed his head, uncharacteristically silent as if he sensed the seriousness of the situation.

'_And he probably does. My big boy is incredibly smart,'_ she thought with a surge of pride.

"Leliana, try to stay to the side and act as support whenever you see a chance. We don't want to start friendly fire. Alistair, Sten and Naruto, you will be our tanks. Let Morrigan and I immobilize them and then… and then take them out." The lump in her throat suddenly tightened. Gods above, why was this so difficult? Abominations were just mindless beast. It shouldn't hurt so much to think of them as former acquaintances and fellow mages! "Naruto… try to keep collateral damage to a minimum. I know you could just steamroll over everything here in the Tower but from what you told me, many of your abilities are highly destructive and we're supposed to leave the Tower intact."

"Point," said man agreed as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. They were _highly _destructive, after all. He wondered what she would say if she knew about his most destructive techniques. Honestly though, he very much doubted he'd ever use them again. After Kurama's departure, he no longer could throw insanely high-ranked jutsu around like they were money.

'_And in this world, they would just be considered a_ massive_ overkill,'_ he thought dryly. _'No challenge at all.'_

"Okay, does anyone have questions? No? Good, let's start this, then."

They tried to enter the library as stealthily as an armed group of seven people and a warhound could manage but, honestly, with their clinking armor and the heavy steps of their boots, it was truly a wonder they got as many steps into the room as theirs, which amounted to a respectable number of four.

In their defense, the library was literally _crawling_ with abominations. It wasn't because their stealth sucked, plain and simple. Honest.

The library, surprisingly enough, wasn't as destroyed as one would expect from such situation. Whole shelves were thrown to the floor but they were the minority. However, the floor was littered with scrolls or torn books carelessly thrown around. The whole room reeked of demonic presence and many corpses from templars and some mages littered the floor in puddles of their blood.

The abominations quickly noticed the group and rushed at them with the mindless desire to destroy any living being. Neria, in the back of the group, gave heartfelt thanks to whomever was listening as her numbed mind registered the fact that the abominations inhabited twisted bodies, a thorough mockery of a mortal body in a humanoid shape of reddish, raw skin. They didn't look like people she knew, acquaintances and some sort of friends. It served to calm her fraying nerves but instincts kicked in and she soon found herself sending **Cones of Cold **almost exclusively along with Morrigan, who didn't shy away from using her admittedly, more disturbing range of spells. After all, the **Walking Bomb** spell was certainly one of the bloodier ones.

Admittedly, she could use more than **Cone of Cold** but it was not really needed and it was amazing to see Alistair and Sten easily shattering the frozen enemies before going back to back against new ones. It spoke highly of their abilities the fact that they could cover each other's back so well. Morrigan and herself were a deadly combination, though without real training in warfare, they found themselves in several close calls with some braver –or just plain more insane- abominations. Still, it was nothing she couldn't deal with a good magic-infused punch, courtesy of ancient Arlathan magic yours truly.

Hell, even Fang got to have his fun with the only abomination that had managed to get past Leliana, who was surveying the room from a safe distance and picking off any hostile whenever she had a clear shot. However, they had to be especially careful around the abominations' corpses for some of them exploded in a magical firestorm. Morrigan, who hadn't been expecting it, had almost been caught in one of them and they all tried to steer off every fallen corpse afterwards.

Even though there were many of them, the group eventually succeeded in killing them all and used the break to catch their breath. Wynne used her magic to heal the plenty of bruises the battle had brought, focusing especially on Sten, who had received a nasty blow to the side from a demon who'd gotten lucky. He looked uncomfortable of the mage's closeness but it was hard to tell for certain with that stony face of his. Meanwhile, Naruto, Neria and Leliana explored the library just in case, with Fang following closely behind. The Tower's library was perhaps the biggest in Ferelden, with several floors and many, many corridors of shelves, stacked to the brim with books of different subjects. Who knows if there could be more abominations in hiding?

However, it was obvious to them that this scared place of learning was sullied with the demonic outbreak. Even though the horrors that happened here would forever be silenced, with no one alive to remember them, their results were laid bare to see to all who entered one of the library chambers, the one with the fireplace. The one that had comfy armchairs and a faint, homely smell of cedar. The one where she remembered learning one of the most important rules taught by the Circle, that magic should be used to help people. The one where she talked and laughed with Anders and Jowan. She had so many fond memories of it…

And now its walls were painted with blood, the innocent blood of children.

Letting out a strangled sound, half gasp-half sob, Neria ran to the pile of broken, torn and mutilated bodies. Slaughter was the only term that her shocked mind could give to such carnage. Their bodies, discarded by the demons because of their lesser mana capacity and knowledge of the arcane arts, had been savagely mutilated and for some of them, to the point of being unrecognizable.

So much potential, so much happiness and hope to grow up and learn magic… only for all of that to be snuffed out in a dreadful, fateful night.

Neria fell to her knees next to the haphazardly piled bodies as she tried to make sense of the madness that had overtaken her former home. She could feel Naruto and Leliana's presence, giving her silent comfort as they each kneeled near her. Fang whined at her as he nudged her shaking form, trying to give her comfort.

"They were so young… they had so much life to experience… to _feel…_" she choked a sob. She looked at one of the bodies and part of her that still could function at some level felt sick when she could recognize the child. He had arrived only days before her sudden departure as a Grey Warden recruit. Jacob, his name was… "Oh, Jacob… this world isn't fair. How could they have done to you, who never harmed a fly?" She muttered mournfully as she stroked his cheek with trembling fingers, unmindful of the blood coating her hand and her fingers; unmindful of the torn arm and the off-white bone sticking out of the stump, the blood dripping to the floor; unmindful of the pool of blood that stained her armor. Ignoring the voice in her had screaming at her that she was in shock, that she had to snap out of it.

She was only mildly aware of Naruto bringing her to his arms as he hugged her with the utmost care, as if she was a fragile thing that would break at the merest harsh touch. She missed Naruto's gesture to Leliana to warn the others as he rocked her gently in his arms. She didn't register Fang sitting very closely to her as he stood guard over his master, decided to prevent anything harmful get near her in her state. She only snapped out of her daze when Naruto started murmuring to her, trying to soothe her while rubbing her back.

However, his efforts only served to break the wall of her emotions and she buried her head in his chest as she started crying.

"Why, Naruto? Why? They didn't deserve to die… They were only children and yet they were still killed with no mercy…"

The former shinobi sighed wearily. What could he say? In his old home, children were raised from the start to be soldiers. Such was the militaristic society they lived in although he'd been in this world long enough to understand their view on such thing. Nonetheless, he was honestly more worried about the young woman crying her heart out on his chest than the complicated morals of two exponentially different worlds.

"Neria… the world isn't a fair place. Every day, kind people die. Every day, people who might not deserve to, die or are killed. We cannot save them all. Could we have saved them had we arrived sooner? Maybe. Maybe not. However, we can't let their deaths to keep us fixed in the past. We have to move on for them, to show them we honor their memory and that we will remember them."

"They were only children… They had all their lives to experience…" she mumbled with a heart-wrenching sadness in her tone.

"… I know, Neria. I know," he muttered with a sad sigh. What could he say? He only could offer his presence as a source of comfort. More words would just feel shallow and incomplete.

And his was a good advice, too. So why did he found it so hard to follow his own advice sometimes?

They sat there for what seemed hours until Naruto shifted his posture a little. "… We should probably get to the others already." Neria nodded as she wiped the leftover tears off her eyes.

"Naruto… thank you. For everything..."

He hugged one of her hands, squeezing it lightly in a nonverbal show of support. _'I am here' _it said. Nothing else needed to be said.

"You too, big boy… Thank you, you're the best. I couldn't ask for a better companion," she said to Fang with a shaken smile and a tear-stained face as she crouched to his level. Fang barked, happy to see his master better and he let it show with a joyful lick to her face, making her laugh, if only a little.

When they returned, no one said anything but worry shone in most of their eyes, even though they relaxed slightly when they saw them appear and Neria walking by herself, even if a little out of it.

Their mage leader immediately turned to the Circle mage. "Wynne… I forgot to ask you before… do you know what happened here? What caused the abominations to appear?"

"I… am not sure myself. There was blood magic involved obviously, and Irving himself knew there were dissidents among the ranks who were trying to study the forbidden school. That, coupled with mage politics…" she trailed off. "Regardless, I can't tell you much more, I was overseeing a class when the demonic outbreak began," she explained.

Neria nodded; a withdrawn expression on her face. To Naruto and Leliana, it was clear the things they saw in the learning room still weighed heavily on her mind.

"… Let's go, then. We still have to find Irving."

xxOOOOxx

In a certain whorehouse in Denerim, very far away from Kinloch Hold, an elf was just treating himself to a very nice wine of Antiva. It was several decades old, at the very least, but the alcohol was lower than one would expect from a liquor beverage.

'_Just enough to keep the conversation flowing, as us antivans would say. And how it flows,'_ the elf mused with a grin.

However, his thoughts were interrupted when one of his men assigned to his leadership in the hunt for the Wardens ran into the room without asking permission. That annoyed him a little, honestly. What if he had been fucking a whore when he entered? Sure, he wouldn't have cared that much but these kind of things tended to break the girl's mood. That was a big no no for him. It always meant the whores weren't up for it after the messenger had left.

"Zevran, we finally have a lead on the Wardens! Kerren thought he saw one of them several days ago but he wasn't sure and followed them to make sure," he started explaining.

"Ah, good Kerren, always so duty-driven! Fucking a whore would do just fine in loosening him up!" he laughed amusedly.

"Tsk, dammit, Zevran, you're always thinking about fucking bitches! Seriously, is there a whore you have not fucked in this whorehourse?"

The Crow was astounded when Zevran had to actually think about it. "No, I think I actually slept with every worker in here."

'_Every worker… that means… oh Maker, this dude is fucking sick… ugh.'_

The Crow messenger shook his head with a grimace at the mental image but chose to get back on track. "W-whatever! Karren followed them for some days and concluded they were going to Kinloch Hold, to the Circle most likely. What are we supposed to do?"

Zevran sighed, messing with these guys was just too easy and no challenge at all. Still, he supposed he'd have to get to his contract already.

"Well, I guess that The Pearl has nothing else to offer me anymore. Shame, I quite liked it here… Anyway, get everyone ready, we'll go to the Tower and wait around the nearer paths. That way, we'll be able to ambush them when they leave. Tell the others to keep a low profile."

"Got it. Anything else?"

Zevran smirked. This would be fun. "Of course, tell them to get ready for a bone-crushing pace. We've got to get there fast. That will help me see if the others have gotten lazy, too."

However, if that happened, it would be admittedly his fault, at least partially, for not making them stay in shape. He dismissed such thoughts easily enough as he dismissed the messenger. They were Crows, anyway, everyone knew if their abilities dulled for slipping on their training, it would only transform into a mistake.

And mistakes meant death in their profession.

Still, Zevran couldn't quite suppress the short laugh of excited anticipation. The hunt was finally on.

xxOOOOxx

"How are you holding up, Solana?"

Solana Amell let out a long drawn tired sigh as she rubbed her eyes. The last days had been hell on earth for them and the nightmare didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Who would've said she'd get to be on first term basis with the few templars with them, too?

"I've been better… but then again, I could be dead or turned into an abomination so I'm pretty good, all things considered," she joked lightly as she tied more firmly the laces of her brown knee-high boots.

She could feel Rorhen's discomfort when she mentioned the part about abominations but she really couldn't fault him. Old habits die hard for a templar, after all. It was a wonder in itself the templars and the mages of their little group could cooperate so well but she supposed the hardships they were forced to face together had a large say in that. For her part, she couldn't complain as long as they worked to escape their nightmare.

They had barricaded themselves inside the storerooms in order to hide away from the demons and the abominations. As long as they stayed inside and were silent enough, they would go unnoticed. However, they had sent the children further inside the corridors of the storerooms, just in case and a mage and a templar were guarding them at any moment. Rorhen and Solana were currently on guard duty in the first cavern, which was also the bigger, just in case the demons managed to get in somehow.

"… I have to admit… I'm not sure if we'll make it. For all we know, everyone else could be dead." He stated with a grim look as he tightened his grip on the templar sword he carried, now slightly dented.

They had been forced to cut down several abominations on their desperate bid for the storerooms.

"Don't give up so easily, Rorhen. We're still alive and kicking. We didn't survive this long just to starve to death. That would just suck." However, the reality they both didn't voice was that their meager supplies would run out soon. They were already rationing their food to give the children a bigger portion.

Rorhen chuckled tiredly. "I suppose it would be an annoying way to go, yes. But let's put these grim thoughts aside as much as possible. Say, you were telling Leorah about your previous Circle before, those Gallows. Care to tell me? I've never been stationed there."

"Ah, the Gallows…" Solana sighed as she pushed away a lock of dark hair. "It's not really a nice place, in my opinion… You might already know this, but the Gallows is a fortress built in the harbor, just in front of the Kirkwall docks. However, the place was created by the Imperium and soon became the centre point of slave trade. No wonder it's commonly called The City of Chains... Anyway, the Gallows themselves is the place where the Kirkwall Circle is located, same with the Templar quarters. But as I said, it's not a place that will give you fond memories by itself," she explained with a shake of her head.

"How so?"

"Well, there are a lot of slave statues in the Gallows, for starters. And I mean a_ lot _of them. And magisters used to execute slaves daily, sometimes hourly."

"Nice place to live in, then," Rorhen deadpanned, making Solana give a slight smile.

"Ha, yeah, but I guess it wasn't that bad whenever you didn't focus on the horribly graphical and gruesome history lessons of the curriculum. But I wanted to get away from the Gallows a little, so I asked Orsino to send me somewhere else with some excuse. First Enchanter Irving was all too happy to let me in. Ferelden is pretty nice, I think. Of course, who could have thought something like this… could happen?" she gestured to the air.

"About that, it's true you can use a special type of power? Force magic, was it called? Could I, you know, see it? I'm a little curious."

Solana nodded in agreement as she stood up. "Sure, we've got nothing else to do." She grabbed her white, high-collared coat, putting it on as she tried to remove several patches of brown dirt. She moaned despairingly, however, when it proved to be a useless effort. "Look at my awesome coat. It's so dirty now. As soon as I'm able to, I'm getting it thoroughly washed."

"You were going to show me those Force abilities of yours, Solana," Rorhen gently reminded her. Her mind could wonder to strange place at the most random of times.

"Oh yes! Well, you see, Force mages use their magic to adapt the energy in the form of invisible attacks…Hold on, that's a _very_ simplified version. Let's see… Force mages use their magic to… to apply powerful fields of altered force in the physical world. Wait, I think I've got the best way to explain it: Force magic is, basically, bending the laws of gravity to the mage's user." Solana nodded to herself, pleased with the final explanation. Nice, easy and simple. Who said things had to be always overly complex?

"Do you understand?"

"Eh… I think I do but if you could give me a demonstration…"

Solana grinned excitedly. "I almost thought you wouldn't ask! Watch this, I can get this crate to-"

"Solana, has the barrier suffered damage?" Senior Enchanter Leorah interrupted as she appeared from the corridor.

"Some hits, yeah, but it's holding up just fine. Those abominations outside are not going to enter anytime soon," she told her with a grin. Aside from her specialization as a force mage, Solana was highly proficient in Creation magic, specializing in healing and warding. It was her goal to master completely the school of Creation magic. Demons and abominations would not cross her barriers as long as she had mana to power them up.

Leorah nodded with a serious expression. The whole ordeal had changed many of the survivors, one way or another, and it had hardened Leorah from an inexperienced and nervous rookie Senior Enchanter to someone who had stared at the face of an abomination and lived to tell the tale.

"That's good, I thought we could-"

However, Leorah was interrupted as well when they heard sounds of brutal fighting outside the storerooms. From the sounds of it, someone was putting the abominations who were trying to get inside their safe haven through a brutal beating. And yet, the battle had ended far sooner than what they would have expected.

A tense silence filled the cavern they were in.

"Should we check it out?"

"Hm… I don't feel my barrier getting hit anymore. Perhaps the abominations have been killed? We could do as Rorhen says."

Leorah nodded. "Very well, just let me warn the others to guard the children," she stated while going back to the corridor she had come from.

"I hope we're not dooming ourselves doing this," Solana grimaced.

"Let's hope so."

xxOOOOxx

Back with our heroes, they moved to a circular room after several minutes of welcomed rest. The room was adjacent to the library itself and presented several scorch marks on its walls. It was a complete mess but they ignored its state of disregard completely in order to kill the abominations roaming.

However, their previous caution was unnecessary as the abominations proved to be incapable of posing a threat to the group with just rushing mindlessly at them. For all their desire to experience the world outside the Fade, they were unaccustomed to all the feelings and everything else that came with the carnal limitations of an actual body made of flesh and bones. Even if they wanted, they could do little more than rushing at the group.

Of course, such glaring weakness would not apply to the more powerful demons.

With their second battle against the possessed mages they secured the library, which took the better part of the first floor. However, there were other parts like the kitchens for example that could be housing more abominations but they couldn't stick around to look at every cranny and corner searching for them.

"Naruto, could you create more clones? I don't want to waste time making sure each floor is completely safe but we can't afford to left possible abominations left unchecked either."

"Easy enough, Neria. How many do you want?"

Neria scratched her chin in a thoughtful manner. "Well, you should make as many as possible to defeat any type of demon that comes after them. I leave the actual numbers to your judgment."

With a nod, Naruto made that weird sign with his hands again and at least fifty clones appeared perched on top the library's shelves.

"You guys know what to do. Keep to this floor and deal with any hostiles you might find. Lethal force is a must but try to keep the collateral damage to the barest minimum." At this point, Naruto added a little bit of his killing intent on his clones to enforce his following warning. "I don't want anyone slacking on this, do I make myself clear? This is more important than your split personalities."

With an unanimous nod, the clones dispersed while breaking into smaller groups.

"D-damn, Naruto, what was that?" Alistair asked with a pant as he felt his forehead sweating a little. The atmosphere around them had felt thick with something malicious and for a moment he thought he felt the cold hand of death caressing his cheek.

For his part, the blond shinobi inwardly cursed when he saw the state most of the others were in. He'd slipped and forgot they had never been subjected to killing intent, even if it wasn't directed specifically at them. And if he took into account his was an especially potent one…

No wonder they were shaking like little leaves going against a harsh wind. It was better than Sasuke's reaction to Zabuza's killing intent so long ago but not by a wide margin. However, he noticed with surprise that Neria was certainly the better off of all them. She was shaking, yes, but her face wasn't an unhealthy shade of green (one couldn't tell with Sten's tone of skin, anyway). Once again, Neria managed to surprise him in little ways that left him wondering just what made Neria be… _Neria_.

"Sorry, Alistair. I forgot you guys were never put through this kind of thing. That was killing intent, a special technique of my homeland."

"How does it work, Uzumaki?" Morrigan suddenly asked with interest. Everything scrap of knowledge she could get was welcome in order to figure out this mysterious blond. And the ability did sound very interesting.

"Well… it's a kind of terror-inducing technique. You're supposed to focus your intent to kill on an individual and if the person using the killing intent is especially stronger than his or her opponent, they can even make others see their deaths. However, the stronger your will, the lesser chances it will affect you."

"That sound highly unpleasant," Alistair grimaced a little as he threw a quick glance at Morrigan, knowing she'd love to try it out on him. Naruto, who didn't miss it, let out a low chuckle.

"Don't worry, Alistair. From what I've seen, the people of Thedas haven't discovered a way to use killing intent. The most you could get from a person who'd like to do that would be a glare at most."

'_Thank the Maker for small blessings…'_ Alistair thought with relief. The idea of Morrigan going around with something as this… killing intent to her disposal rightfully scared him.

"Okay, guys… Let's get to the second floor. Take those stairs; they lead to the main staircase."

They did so, even if they didn't have the luxury to enjoy the fine masonry job of the spiraling stairs. Soon, they reached the second floor without problems. The corridors were eerily silent and Neria wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign. It could mean anything but caution would be the safer option.

"Look, there's Owain," Wynne told her with a frown. "What is he doing here? I would've thought he'd have looked for a place to hide."

Shrugging it off, Neria approached the tranquil. She remembered tricking him into giving him the fire rod needed to break Jowain's phylactery. She still felt a little guilty about lying like that to him and Leorah, who had taken over some of her lessons when Irving was simply too busy with paperwork, something he often complained about. He always managed to make her laugh whenever he said that, Neria thought with a small smile.

"Owain, why are you still here? I thought you died… or worse," Wynne exclaimed but Owain merely tilted his head, undisturbed.

"I tried to leave when things got quiet after a while but I encountered a barrier on my way out. I didn't wish to be a bother and the stockroom is familiar. I decided to stay here and tidy up a little," he explained emotionlessly.

"Well, nonetheless, I'm happy you're okay, Owain." Neria nodded. Being a Tranquil, Owain was relatively safe. He couldn't be possessed but he could still die from physical attacks, something Owain himself referenced next.

"I would prefer not to die. I hope Niall manages to save us and bring the Tower back to its former state. There would be more calm."

Now, that was very much needed information. Recognizing it for what it was, everyone leaned in to get a better hearing of Owain's words.

"Niall? So he survived too… well, at least, for some time…"

"Niall came some days ago with several others looking for the Litany of Adralla." Owain informed them.

"Wait, the Litany of Adralla is the ultimate protection against mind domination; blood magic… That's confirmation that someone unleashed the demons with blood magic." Wynne mused with a worried expression. "Now that I think about it, there was a meeting between the three Fraternities of mages when I was overseeing that class… I couldn't attend it but it that meeting must have been the place where someone used blood magic."

"We will have to find this Niall soon, then. If this Litany of Adralla is as powerful as it sounds, it will prove invaluable while fighting blood mages." Leliana commented all the while throwing a disturbed glance at Owain.

"Yes, that's correct," Neria nodded before facing Owain again. "Will you be okay here, Owain? You can go now to the second hall, there are several survivors there and two of my friends are protecting them."

However, Niall merely shook his head. "Thank you but I will stay here for now. I feel more comfortable in the stockroom. I wish you luck, Surana. Goodbye."

As they walked away, Leliana couldn't help the shiver that coursed through her. "That man… he was disturbing… so emotionless… what is he?"

"Owain is a Tranquil, Leliana. His connection to the Fade has been cut, which means he can no longer be possessed by a demon. However, side effects are the lost of his magic and emotions. Even though he retains his free will, there is only room for logic in his mind, now." Neria explained with a grim look.

The Rite of Tranquility was not something the Circles liked to boast about and general knowledge of it was rather small. It was because of such reason that Leliana looked downright horrified.

"But… but that's terrible!"

"Sssh! Dammit, Leliana, keep it down. And yes, most mages see it as an horrible thing but there are some cases that don't wish to go through the Harrowing, so they decide to become Tranquils."

"This is very wrong. I can't believe this happens in every Circle…" Leliana scowled, clearly disagreeing with the existence of such a foul practice. However, Neria simply stared ahead even though she silently agreed with the redhead.

Their discussion was cut short, however, when voices reached their ears and they all tensed. The unknown mages, for that's what they were, seemed unaware of their presence and crouching behind a wall, the group listened intently on their conversation. From it, the group gathered easily that they were blood mages and were part of Uldred's uprising in a bid for mages' freedom from the Chantry. One of them showed doubts while the two others clearly wished nothing more than power, if their words were to be believed.

Neria threw a glance at Wynne and worried when she saw her tightened face, ready to storm the room. However, just as she was about to block her from doing that, Sten knocked a metal candelabra by accident, making it roll by the floor with an easily heard clinking noise. Now on alert, the blood mages rushed out of the side room they were in and appeared in front of them with their staves raised in a clear attempt to unleash offensive spells on them. They had managed to catch the party off guard and even if they were already rushing at them with their weapons drawn and their mages were already casting counter defenses, no one would be able to complete their actions before the blood mages struck.

However, the momentum was broken when the throat of one of the male mages suddenly exploded in a fountain of blood as a knife sliced it cleanly from behind. Quick as lightening, the same knife that had ended his friend's live was imbedded into the heart of another by a blur of movement. Only the sight of the last blood mage, a young woman with red hair, surrendering as she fell to her knees put a sudden halt to the blur's murderous spree. Without the speed working on its favor, the blur was soon revealed to be one of Naruto's clones, which sported an unusual serious look on its face.

"Are you all okay? Good thing one of us was near you guys. Who knows what they would have managed to do otherwise?" The clone noted many of them looked shaken, probably because it hadn't sunk in till now they had been very close to a certain death.

Sighing, the clone made its way towards the blood mage woman, who was shaking in fear. However, she still had enough presence of spirit to beg for her life. "Please, please, don't kill me. I don't want to die."

The clone frowned, unsure of what to do. He had no problem killing his targets but after all this time, Boss and by extension, every clone he created, still had trouble killing someone who had no will to fight. He looked unsurely at Boss, who in turn, made a gesture to Neria.

"Neria, this is your former home. It's your call."

With a nod, the blonde mage approached the blood mage, who looked surprised when she recognized Neria –in full armor stained with blood.

"Laura, I never thought you'd stoop so low as to become a blood magic," she coldly stated.

"Surana… Neria… I… I never meant for all of this to happen." She justified herself with an anguished expression. "We only wanted to free ourselves. Uldred… Uldred told us we would support Loghain and that he in exchange would give the Circle independency from the Chantry. We didn't want this to happen. We only wanted to live in peace and free! You yourself know what it was like, Neria. We mages will always be caged animals."

Neria simply stared at Laura as her words struck a chord in her. They resonated too close to home for her comfort. "So you resorted to blood magic in order to fight back?"

"Magic was simply a means to an end, a tool to fight for what I believe," she explained with a downtrodden expression but Wynne let out an angered huff, livid with fury.

"Fighting for one's beliefs is something commendable. Using such forbidden magic as is blood magic isn't."

However, Laura frowned at her in clear disagreement. "You were always a pro-Circle mage despite your claims of otherwise, Wynne. Some always wondered if you weren't a Loyalist, instead of an Aequitarian… Nothing truly meaningful can be achieved without strife and conflict. Andraste was the spark that brought the foundation of the Chantry, the organization that enslaves us, and yet, the Lady of Sorrow waged a war against Tevinter for the elves and anyone oppressed by Tevinter Imperium. Was not that conflict?"

"You may be right in some points but it doesn't justify what you did here. Have you seen it, Laura? Abominations were crawling in the library, so many mages twisted in body and mind; they may be as good as dead because of your ambitions. There might have been some of your friends among them and we had to kill them all."

Laura simply kept her head down in shame, knowing the consequences of her implication in Uldred's mad plan. "I know… but there's nothing I haven't told myself already. I will live the rest of my life with the guilt of my actions… for as long as it may be."

Neria's gaze was as cold as steel as she peered down at her, unforgiving. "I don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation here... The abominations killed more than twenty children in the library because their mana reserves were too small and useless to them."

"T- the children?!" Laura exclaimed with an horrified look as she started crying, blaming herself over and over for their deaths. However, Neria forcefully grabbed her wrist, snapping the blood mage out of her daze.

"I- I'm sorry. I never thought something like this would happen. Uldred assured us… it wasn't supposed to turn out like this… but he became mad with power too…"

Neria pondered what to do with Laura. As much as she wanted her to face justice for her implication in Uldred's plans and for everyone who had died, Laura was not someone who wanted power or ancient knowledge. She was just a normal girl burdened with magic that merely wanted to live in freedom, without fear of the templars breathing on her neck.

It was a desire too close to Neria's own desires that it was almost painful to think about. Had she not been chosen as a potential Grey Warden, would she be in Laura's place? Laura had stayed true to her original beliefs, no matter which way she took to achieve them and didn't lost herself to the lure of power, which spoke of her more than anyone would think in the first place.

And so, Neria made her choice.

"I will let you go free, Laura. If you're able to sneak past the templars in the Entrance Hall, then you're free to go. However, if I get news of you using your knowledge of blood magic in offensive ways against others, I will personally come to end you. And trust me, I will know."

Getting wobbly to her feet, Laura bowed low in a show of deep respect. "Thank you, Neria. I hope the Maker will turn his eyes on you for your mercy."

Neria snorted, shaking her head. "I don't believe in the Maker, Laura. I make my own fate. That said, can you tell us where Uldred might be?"

"I… am not sure. I got away as soon as I realized everyone who was not turning into abominations just screamed about getting more power but Uldred could be in the Harrowing chamber. He always had delusions of grandeur."

Laura really didn't know anything else of importance and so they let her go, though many were clearly not comfortable with the final decision. However, Wynne was more worried about Laura's words than anything else.

"Uldred… I was afraid he would be involved in this somehow. Uldred was trying to sway the Circle's support to Loghain but then some of us mages arrived from Ostagar and I revealed Loghain's treachery. That meeting was supposed to discuss Loghain's actions and take a final vote on whether supporting him or not… I guess this confirms Uldred is the major responsible of the demonic outbreak."

"I suppose so. We don't gain anything from mulling it over, however. Let's press on." Neria stated.

Naruto who had been raiding a secret stash of mage resources with Leliana's help, suddenly blinked and looked up.

"Neria, I think some of my clones have found survivors. If I'm correct, they have barricaded themselves behind metal doors in a huge room. It's in this floor, actually."

"That's the laboratory, they used the storerooms as a defensive position," Neria breathed with a small sigh of relief. If there were survivors, not all was lost. There was still hope. "Were there hostiles in it?"

"Yes, several abominations were hammering the door with everything they had but there was something in place there. It could be a ward of some kind perhaps, because the door basically shrugged everything off. My clones took care of them and are now guarding the room, just in case more abominations wander into it."

Neria grinned, new confidence surging into the group at Naruto's words. "Okay, people. This is what we're going to do. The laboratory is near our current position. However, there are several rooms until we reach the room, so we're not going to rush it. We'll go slow and steady and kill everything that so much as makes a threatening move against us. I don't want to reach the lab just to get attacked from behind."

Everyone agreed with Neria's plan, as it was a sound enough one and common logic to do something like that.

"Naruto, if you can contact with your clones, tell them to hold their positions. Who knows how many abominations we'll encounter until we reach the laboratory and I'm not about to let those inside the storerooms get themselves killed now that we're so close."

"Got it, Neria," answered Naruto with a nod. The clone created disappeared in a blur of speed to inform the others, knowing no one would be able to spot him if he put his stealth abilities to good use.

Idly, Naruto just realized that he could have sent small legion of clones to purge the entire Tower of abominations. It would have been child's play. The abominations didn't posses any more conscious thought than to rip apart everything moving and Naruto had been hailed as one of the strongest shinobi to ever live back home.

So, why had he not done so?

However, the answer came to him easily enough. This was about Neria's home. No matter what, she'd have never agreed to something like that because in her eyes, it was her duty to her former home. He'd wanted to spare her as much as possible from the horrors of war, as selfish as the sentiment was, but he'd failed miserably and not even because he'd messed up. He just couldn't have expected something like this happening.

He could only hope she would be okay but he would never turn her away if she needed a shoulder to lean in or someone to listen to her when she needed it.

'_And besides, what is gain without pain? The fighting will help some of them grow as persons and it may bring even the more antisocial ones closer to the others. Nothing creates stronger bonds than ones forged in the fires of war and conflict,' _he mused with a subtle nod. Sometimes, he amazed himself with these thoughts. Who'd have guessed the clown of his graduating class would reach a day when he could have such mature thoughts?

"Naruto, you there?" A sudden voice startled him out of his musings and saw Neria waving a hand in front of his face. The others were already making the last checks on their weapons and gear before resuming their march.

"Uh, what? Oh, sorry, I guess my mind was wandering off," he waved it off with a small laugh but Neria looked at him with no small amount of worry.

"You better not do that in battle, Naruto." She warned as her eyes softened considerable. "I don't want to lose anyone…"

'_Especially you', _Neria wanted to say but bit back her words. How could she say them without someone misunderstanding them? She felt a special gratitude for Naruto for helping her in her most vulnerable state and it was not something she would forget soon. But for now, they still had to clean her former home.

"Heh, don't worry, abominations can't off me so easily. I don't intend to die for a very long time."

"Well said," Neria returned Naruto's grin with one of her own before turning to the others. "Okay guys, let's go."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's notes:<strong> So another chapter is up. I have to say, I'm not exactly sure how to feel about this one. I quite like it but it feels as if it didn't turn out just as I wanted. Oh, well…

The chapter started growing bigger and bigger and I didn't see a good way to cut it so I decided to leave out the Fade part from this chapter and start it at the next one.

**Please read this**: I have been thinking for some days that this story has a lot of dramatic/emotional moments. Now, I like it that way because of the general situation of the Dragon Age universe. However, I wanted to get your honest opinion on it. Do you like it as it is currently or do you think it's too much? Please, if you do answer this question, don't say things like 'This is emo shit' or things like that, because I will simply ignore you. I hope you all can give me a mature enough opinion. Apart from that, I also hope you can give me a clear and exact reasoning of why exactly you like it or not.

Another thing to give your opinion: the small scenes showing things of what's going on different parts of the world. Do you like them? Do you think they are a nice addition to the chapters? If so, would you like some scenes about Hawke and his crazy crew?

If you don't like the scenes, could you give your reasons?

On another note, the part about the children killed. I do know Connor was a child when he was possessed by that desire demon when he wanted to protect his father, Arl Eamon. However, I think that, despite the wish to enjoy the wonders of the mortal world, the demon won't willingly possess a mage child because of their small reserves. They _can_ do it, obviously, but that will only happen if it's extremely necessary – or the children in question come by themselves to the demon/s.

At least, that is how I see it in my story. Remember that I try to stay close to the lore already given as much as possible, but there are instances when there's a special lack of info about some things so I have to make it up.

Solana Amell makes her debut! Jedi badass powers in action! Bet no one of you was expecting that! Anyway, I tried my best to describe her but sometimes it is not enough. So here is a link to the artwork I drew inspiration from. The artwork is basically Amell as she looks in this fic, so I thank AM-Markussen and Tica from DeviantArt for the permission to use the character.

am-markussen . deviantart art/RHA- contest-entry- 382846270 (just erase the gaps and go). The artwork is Markussen's armor redesign of Tica's creative healer submitted to the RHA contest. So the character itself is Tica's property and** I don't own it**. Just so you know, Solana doesn't wear the white floral headpiece. I will star a section in my profile for the arts I get inspiration from.

Funny thing now, did you know that Kilina, the Warden Christiën references to, is a canonical Warden? Yup, she's a Warden recruiter form the Orth people, in the Anderfels, look it up. However, Christiën and Emric themselves are OC's in canon roles (High Constable and First Warden, respectively) but I tried to keep in-canon as much as I could about Emric, since the wiki says the First Warden cares more for politicking than killing darkspawn.

The Marius Emric talks about is the King of Anderfels, by the way.

Damn, I realized that I always keep forgetting about Fang and almost never put him in so he feels like a ghost companion. Checking the chapter, I saw Fang was missing from the 'Neria's breakdown' scene, which is something quite incomprehensible when you think about it. Fang, as a mabari, would not part from his master/handler/whatever and disappear like that.

I hope I can start the NeriaxNaruto romance soon! It's about, I just need to make it progress believably. Bear with me otherwise, I haven't written that much romance before now but will try my best.

**The 23 of March will mark two years since I started writing this fic!** Honestly, when I started I didn't have the least idea about where to bring this fic. However, I'd like to think I have matured more in these two years and that it shows in a difference between the earlier chapters and the latter ones. And I have a clear idea of what to do, what's going to happen and what not. Thank you all for sticking around! Who knows where we would be if I hadn't taken that sudden hiatus?

Nonetheless, I will try my best to have chapter 10 posted at the 23. I have a whole week off just around the corner so I think I can do it. And guess what? Since it's birthday time, I'll give you guys a peek at future things! ;) Aren't I nice?

Until next time!


	11. No Mercy for the Wicked

I'm sorry to say I could have updated sooner but I started having technical problems with my PC and I couldn't write anything for many days! It's a wonder in itself I managed to get this chapter fresh out of the factory.

Anyway, rant aside, I was amazed by the responses I got from last chapter. All of you who have reviewed it have been extremely supportive of the way this story is shaping. No worries, I keep in mind the advices some of you have given me in regards to several of the things I asked. To everyone else who didn't review:

-Hawke's possible appearance: Many have expressed their concern that the action would stretch already a bit too much with him getting screentime and I have to agree with them. **So no, there won't be Hawke side-scenes**. That doesn't mean others will get their time if they are tied somehow into the first game plotline.

Thanks to all who reviewed (you're the best guys!), favorite and/or followed. It's great to know even more people find this fic and like it!

Another important thing! **TheGreatBubbaJ** asked me more or less if I couldn't get someone talented to draw some of the more obscure characters –or simply some of the OCs. He himself used Christiën as an example. I don't think it's a bad idea so I wanted to ask if any of you reading this story is a DeviantArt member who draws/paints and would be okay with doing some works for me for this fanfiction. If you're interested, contact me via PM, please.

As usual, feel free to point out any mistakes you see.

So with that said, onwards we fare, my minions! Let us sow death and destruction wherever we go!

**PS:** There has been a small change with Solona's name. Now, instead of Solona, it will be Solana. It sounds better and rolls easier on the tongue, in my opinion. It was changed on the previous chapter as well.

**PS2:** The artwork section in my profile has been started. There's only a few things for now but more will be added as the story progresses or I find a picture that fits a certain theme/criteria of this fanfiction. If you haven't taken the time to take a look, do so now!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own Naruto nor DA Origins.

**[15/03/2014]:** Chapter revised and fixed several mistakes.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter ten <strong>

**No mercy for the wicked**

Neria looked at every member of her group and found them ready. She nodded at them. "Okay, try to be as stealthy as possible. We don't want to ruin the element of surprise."

Getting a chorus of agreements, Neria led once again the group. There were several rooms in the corridor that led to the laboratory but they couldn't afford to waste time with too complicated moves. They would barge in and destroy everything that moved in them.

There were several abominations that were easily dispatched. It wasn't really that difficult, really. Their wild swings had a great chance of failing and there was no finesse in their attacks and as such, they weren't a serious threat to their group as long as they stayed focused. The only thing they had to worry about was that nasty explosion they set off after dying. Apart from that, only numerical superiority could have proven to be a serious worry to them.

"You know… I recognize this room," Neria told the others after the brief scuffle as she stared at the broken furniture and the scorched bed.

"Shouldn't that be obvious, considering you lived here for many years?" Morrigan questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yes, but I wasn't talking about that. This was the room Duncan stayed in when he came here looking for potential recruits," their leader stated as she threw a pointed look at Alistair.

The blond warrior looked at the room in a new light, obviously having thoughts of Duncan, but the information ultimately didn't really benefit them in the slightest and so they moved on.

The next room was more of a secondary storeroom than anything else, which Neria confirmed several minutes later. This time, the group had to face charred and skinned corpses on top of the usual abominations, just like in Soldier's Peak. Still, like then, it was almost laughable watching the undead trying to kill them when they couldn't even unleash a quick attack. Of course, the abominations were more of a threat and they simply didn't let their guards down but it got to the point of being sad. Demons possessing corpses just would never be able to kill them, unless they were extremely careless.

The party dealt with them with less effort than what they were expecting. Still, the fights would ensure they didn't get sloppy with their skills and they still had to kill them off to clean the Tower.

The life of a Grey Warden sure is a hectic one.

"So how long until we hit the lab?" Alistair asked Neria while shaking his _Blade of the Fallen _to get rid of the sticky blood on the edge.

"It shouldn't be too far now. Just keep on this same corridor and we'll reach the laboratory in less than a minute. Thanks to Naruto's clones, I doubt we'll face more enemies until we leave it, so it will allow us to get a small rest," Neria stated with a nod of appreciation to Naruto, who gave her a thumbs up with a grin. "We still have those stamina halves in store. I doubt we'll need them with Wynne here acting as our healer but don't forget them. Just in case, if you desperately need to use it but don't worry too much about it. We have enough resources as it is to produce many more."

The next room was a mess, just like all the others they had seen so far. There were two blood mages in it but this time, the group didn't made mistakes and fell upon them without mercy. The mages tried to pose a threat as they quickly reached for their staves but their efforts were met with extreme prejudice from Neria's group. Not even the abomination that sprung up from their fight managed to injure any of them.

They did find another piece of an apprentice's diary, although no one could quite could figure out what was the student really talking about. However, Neria and Naruto knew it was connected somehow to the other pieces of different diaries the clones had found on several floors but they really couldn't do something about it. With that the group set off again and they soon reached the laboratory. The clones were dutifully keeping watch on the two exits to the room but immediately relaxed when they saw the group appear through one of them.

"Good job, did you get any trouble?" Naruto asked one of them but the clone just shrugged.

"What could have gone wrong? You were mere meters away from this position, nothing could possibly have happened in the time it took you to get here."

"True but it's still polite to ask."

The clone simply crossed his arms with an annoyed expression. "I don't see how that matters! I'm just a clone," he sulked but sighed when he saw the grin on Naruto's face.

"Why yes, you are but… I'm afraid you have outlives your usefulness," he stated in a theatrical voice as the clone disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. He turned around to find the others staring at him with odd looks. "Why are you looking at me like that? Just because I always wanted to say that, that doesn't mean I'm a weirdo!" He complained and the others relented, knowing it was pointless.

The other clones were assigned to guard duty again, though Naruto quickly changed his mind and left only one of them as guard. The other one was sent to join a group who had lost a clone thanks to a lucky shot, as he'd seen from the memories he received. The others quickly took positions around the room just in case. From the sounds of it, it was clear that the people outside were trying to get out of the storeroom caverns. However, their efforts weren't met with success as the huge oaken table that usually presided over the entire room had been thrown quite brutally against the gates some time before.

"To those inside, step back! The doors are barred by the table from the outside. We'll break it to allow you out. All abominations have been dealt with," Neria stated loudly, though not quite a yell. She really wasn't sure if her voice could get past the metal doors. She could only assume they had indeed heard her because the sounds of them trying to get out had disappeared after a moment.

Setting to work, the group easily destroyed the table with just a few swings of Sten's greatsword and Naruto's special abilities.

"Okay, you can come out now!" Neria shouted. She was relieved to know there were survivors but not even in her wildest dreams she'd thought she'd see a known face appearing from the door.

"Solana?!"

"But if it isn't Little Neria! I wasn't expecting you to show up here at all!" exclaimed the older mage as she made a beeline to Neria with a huge grin.

"Don't call me that!" She quickly hushed her with a mortified look on her face. Naruto noted with amusement the tips of her ears were red once again. "Nevermind that, how many of you have survived? We are looking for Irving, is he with you?" Neria eagerly asked. She couldn't wait to find him.

As soon as Solana opened her mouth to speak, another person -a _templar_- put himself in front of Solana with his sword drawn. "Solana, don't trust them so easily! How do we know you aren't demons in disguise?!" he demanded to know.

Neria narrowed her eyes. "I assure you, _templar, _I would not let myself get tempted by a demon and I'm sure Wynne here shares the sentiment," was Neria's cold reply. Solana, uncaring of the tense atmosphere, waved with a grin at Wynne, who approached them.

"It's nice to know more of us have survived these horrible day by whatever means. It's good to see you alive, young girl." She greeted Solana, even if she wasn't' terribly close to the young transfer student from the Gallows.

In that moment, Leorah appeared from the storerooms. "Personally, I don't think they are possessed, though they are clearly here for some reason, Grey Warden business I'd assume. And I share the same sentiment, Wynne. It _is_ good to be alive."

Seeing Leorah, Neria was confident to say she was relieved to see her alive and mostly unharmed. If they had managed to survive, then there was no way Irving could have died, even he didn't seem to be with this group. Irving was still alive, she thought with a smile.

"Hello Neria, it's good to see you again. I wish the circumstances were different, though," Leorah sighed regretfully. "Not that I'm not grateful for you saving us but I thought Loghain had put bounties on the few Wardens left. You shouldn't be here, who knows who would be willing to sell you out," she stated with a worried look.

Seeing this serious and confident Leorah was a bit of a shock to Neria, though. The Leorah she recalled before leaving the Tower with Duncan had been a bit of a nervous wreck and very rarely relaxed. It could be argued that her behavior was because of her recent appointment as Enchanter but still, it was like a different person altogether with the same looks. However, she thought Leorah's change was actually an improvement over her previous self.

"Ah, yes. There are several survivors in the first floor with two members of our group. They are acting as support in case an abomination stumbles on them. Several mages are also with them, protecting the children. Wynne here was protecting them before she decided to aid us."

"How are you inside the Tower, then? Knight-Commander Greagoir should've implemented the required quarantine for these cases while he waited for the Right of Annulment," the templar questioned as he eyed them wearily.

"The permission for the Right of Annulment still hasn't arrived and I made my… _strong _disagreement with the idea of that happening known. I forced Greagoir to let me in search for Irving while we killed all the abominations we encountered on the way," Neria told him. "I'm not going to allow the Right to be applied."

"Rorhen, stop acting like a baby in the middle of a tantrum, they saved us," Solana chided him with an annoyed expression. Maker, wasn't he stubborn!

The templar, Rorhen, frowned but let it go. Neria then proceeded to explain the other details with the aid of Wynne, as she was one of the most connected to the current situation in the Tower.

"So, we've got to kill Uldred, then? Nice, I never liked the old prick, acting as if he was too important to bother with us, mere mortals. Can't wait to flung him over a window or something, see if he can fly too," Solana muttered as she flashed a sinister grin. Many had died because of him, he would pay for what he'd done.

"Wait, what about the children? We can't just leave them here," Leorah reminded them with a frown, which made Neria widen her eyes. The previous experience in the library had left her pretty touchy about children and she was greatly pleased to know that several of them had managed to survive with help from the adults.

"How many of them are with you? We should send them with the others."

"That's the best idea we have in these circumstances, I guess. We managed to reunite about twenty five of them. Honestly, it's a wonder we're still alive: we've been copped up in the caverns for most of the week. A mage and two templars had had the same idea and joined us two days later when they tried to enter the storerooms. Thank the Maker we had enough food for us all." Leorah elaborated.

"Okay then, this is what we're gonna do…"

Whatever Neria would have said, it was drowned by the unearthly screech of an Arcane Horror as it took Naruto's clone by surprise with a **Crushing Prison**, which immediately dispelled the clone. Three more abominations rushed past the pride demon possessing the corpse of a mage towards the members of the Neria's group, who all readied their weapons against the incoming enemies.

However, Solana surprised them all when she nimbly stepped in front of them, easy grin plastered across her face and her fingers twitching in anticipation. Rorhen was about to yell her to get out of the way but there was no time, as the abominations neared her position. Grinning madly, she let out a laugh and merely said with melodramatic flare, "And then she said: _From Heavens shall judgment come_," as she swept open her arms.

Responding to her will, a massive force slammed violently the abominations against the floor. The power was so intense it created a crater in the floor due to the massive pressure applied to the effect zone, killing the abominations instantly in mere seconds. Had they been able to comprehend Solana's ability, they still wouldn't have registered the fact they were dead, as fast as it had been. They were a crushed paste of bones and blood before they exploded or their bodies simply liquefied.

The Arcane Horror, which had survived the unexpected carnage, stared at them for a moment before trying to flee such terrifying foes but its scurrying was cut short when two deadly arrows hit him, one lodging deep into its skull from behind and the second tearing the throat apart, all thanks to Leliana who had been keeping an eye on the abomination like a hawk.

"I had heard things about the Force specialization but damn! Actually seeing it up close is a different thing altogether," Neria whistled in amazement to Solana, who gave her a dazzling smile.

"Thank you, Little Neria, I know I'm great!" She said with a laugh.

Neria grumbled but didn't speak against the nickname, knowing it was a lost fight. In the odd year and half Solana had been living in the Tower, she'd never stopped calling that, which she claimed was an endearing term of affection from her part. The most infuriating thing was that Solana herself was only five years older than her, making her twenty four. Not really _that_ much older than her.

All of that flew out of her mind when Solana suddenly swayed on the spot with a mumble of, "I-I don't feel too good…" Thankfully, Wynne reacted quickly and immediately sent an invigorating **Rejuvenate** spell her way, which gave Solana part of her stamina and mana back.

"Was doing that spell really that tiring?" Naruto asked out of curiosity. He didn't remember something such as her spell during his previous forays around Thedas so long ago and he'd always been admittedly a little curious about magic, since mages could do similar things to his abilities (relatively speaking), albeit in different ways.

Solana shook her head. "No, not usually. It's just that I've been maintaining our main barrier for the most part of this week and I'm feeling a little out of it. Generally, the power I put into the spell wouldn't have left me really winded," she explained.

"Out of curiosity, how much more powerful could the spell be?" Leliana asked while gesturing to the crater.

"Honestly? Well, we tried it out at the Kirkwall Circle. I was selected because I was the most proficient at the Force branch of magic, since they said I was kinda a prodigy in it. Anyway, they told me to go all out while they measured the magical output converted into measurable quantities. The results, well… they told me that when going all out I used pressure that easily weighed ten tons."

Suffice to say, everyone looked quite funny with their gaping mouths in their flabbergasted state.

"T-ten tons! That would definitely reduce someone to paste!"

"Well yeah, but it's not like I can go around throwing that kind of power around," Solana stated as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "I passed out almost instantly after using the spell and was out of it for almost two whole weeks. The healers told me there were several close calls when it was touch-and-go for me. As you may understand, I'm not eager to repeat the experience any time soon," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Still, ten tons… if that's not a crazy ass spell, then I don't know what it is," Alistair muttered to Leliana, who nodded in agreement.

"Well, we should probably get going. We still have to find Irving."

"That we do," Solana chirped as she joined the group.

"What?! You're not going with them," Rorhen flatly declared as he crossed his arms.

"Sure am, Rorhen. You can't tell me what to do."

However, Leorah wasn't about to allow such a stupid argument to break out in the middle of the worst crisis the Circle of Ferelden had suffered in many, many years. "Enough of this senseless squabbling! We have more pressing matters than to argue between ourselves. Neria, I know I can trust you with the Tower. As much as I dislike saying this, don't show any mercy to the abominations. They aren't our former friends and colleagues anymore. We will escort the children and meet up with the others in the lower floor," she told Rorhen in a voice that allowed no argument.

"Good, the others are in the hall that leads to the basements. A human with a mabari and an elf are our companions, their names are Marcus and Liryan. Tell them Neria sent you."

"We'll do that," Leorah nodded before turning to Solana, who was patting Fang on the head. "Solana, are you sure this is a wise decision? You're obviously tired and in no position to fight the demons. It would be better for you to come with us."

"Nah, I prefer going with them. Besides, Wynne here can give me boosts if I need them."

Leorah frowned. Solana's decision could be considered reckless at best but she really didn't have the will to fight it. It had been a very tiring and, ironically enough, harrowing experience. She could only hope that going with such an experienced-looking group, she would be fine. Solana, just like Neria, was one of the brightest minds they currently had and certainly powerful on her own right. They would need her if they were to recover from this crisis.

However, that didn't mean she wouldn't worry. "Well, I suppose I simply can't fight your decision. Just come back in one piece," she finally relented.

Rorhen looked like he wanted to give out a heated retort but having been properly chastised by Leorah's previous scolding; he refrained from making any more comments. He looked like he had eaten something sour, though.

"Neria, good news," Naruto suddenly called out, catching their attention. "Some of my clones have found three more survivors. Kids, two around fifteen or so, the third a girl barely twelve. They are guiding them to the other group of survivors."

"Excellent, see to it they aren't harmed. Anyway, if everything here is done, we'll get going. Leorah, be cautious and don't rush ahead, we don't know if we missed some of the abominations."

"The same to you, Neria. I wouldn't like it if one of my students got herself killed today."

"Heh, will do… Everyone, let's go!"

xxOOOxx

"D-dammit, going with you guys is _fun_. How in the seven hells did we never see this phylactery at all? I mean, a Revenant here?" Solana gasped for air as she supported her trembling legs by putting all her weight on the column near her.

They had gone into the Andrastian chapel, which was filled with several corpses but Solana had carelessly kicked a fragile-looking vial, which turned out to be a phylactery containing a Revenant. Cue major case of swearing at Solana from some of them, even though she only laughed and charged at the Revenant.

That had admittedly not been her brightest idea. Not expecting its speed, the Revenant had tossed her aside like a ragdoll. Thankfully, she didn't hit the wall too hard and was able to lend a hand to the group in killing it afterwards. She had to admit, though, they were pretty awesome when they wanted to.

"Yes well, if a certain someone hadn't seen fit to kick a potentially harmful vial…" Alistair muttered, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Hey, it's not my fault the vial doesn't look like something harmful! Honestly, you'd think they would have put this thing in a more secure place! Or simply, throwing it into the ocean," Solana sulked as Wynne kept fussing over her.

Still, it was fun. Not even five minutes later, they reached Irving's quarters, which were empty as expected, despite Wynne's admission of hoping otherwise. Honestly, did she really think Irving would be there? He'd be off confronting the bad guys, obviously! However, this proved to be just the perfect opportunity to snatch some interesting books from him. It was not her fault Irving had never let her grab some of them with the excuse they would not survive!

"Seems like Irving respected Uldred's ability to root out blood mages, or so his personal diary says. Figures it would take someone like a blood mage to unmask blood mages," said Alistair with a shake of his head after reading Irving's diary.

With little more to be done, they left Irving's quarters, his shelves a sporting a few spaces here and there. Had the Tower had not been in such situation, Irving would have definitely noticed.

No one saw Neria pocketing a certain black grimore from Irving's personal chest, a pensive frown on her face.

They finally reached the stairs that led to the Tower's third floor and didn't waste any time advancing. "This floor is basically the Great Hall. Reunions are usually held here, since it's pretty big," Neria informed the non-mage members of their group.

"And there have been more fights in this place than the templars like to admit, too!" Solana added with a chuckle.

However, their moment of levity was cut short when several of the corpses littering the ground shabbily raised to their feet to fight them, only to be cut down in short time, even counting the second wave, which took some of them by surprise.

With the whole place having been stripped of the useful loot by Naruto's clones, which he assured they were still doing and certainly _not_ slacking off, they were attacked by another group of abominations further ahead –this time with some actual demons showing up. Still, they were an efficient abomination-killing group by now and with the added might of Solana, who was, more or less, still holding up her own, nothing could provide a real challenge to their abilities.

'_Although, it is quite fun to see Solana use her Force abilities. They're badass,'_ mused Naruto with a slight grin. He had told her so, to which the Force user had only winked seductively with a laugh as she checked him out. He had to admit tough, he wasn't quite sure where _that_ had come from.

"Sooo... has anyone else noticed these wiggly... squishy bags of flesh… or is just me? Just asking," Alistair drawled as he inched away from one of those.

"Alistair, seriously, I'm trying _really_ hard not to get freaked out by those here. Could you, I don't know, shut the hell up?" Solana grounded out with a disgusted grimace.

"…"

"Thanks. I knew you would listen to reason."

"Wait! Did that one just throb?" Naruto asked as he tried to hide his grin. Now this was something he could enjoy!

"… I'm going to murder you, Naruto. Just so you know."

Wynne saw fit to put an end to their squabble, as she herself put a good distance away from the seemingly alive lumps of flesh. "Children, behave."

Hearing that, Naruto was moments away from making a sarcastic comment about being older than all of them put together, but ultimately refrained from saying anything. It would be no fun if only half the group understood the comment.

"We can't deal with these things now. We can only hope we'll be able to remove them once all of this has been dealt with.

"Curious and most intriguing, though. Tis a corruption not unlike the darkspawn's, perhaps they are related?" Morrigan wondered out loud with a shrewd look.

"Lovely. More magic at work," Sten's words were not quite a sneer, but it came close and they had a sort of resigned spirit to them. Still, it was difficult to say, considering his usual stony facade.

The implications of Morrigan's words could be interesting to debate on but as Neria had said, there were more pressing matters at hand. Therefore, they resumed their search for Irving. However, the next enemies they encountered posed a more serious threat. They were templars with their wills broken by a demon or simply charmed by a Desire demons. Even so, they still retained their abilities, which was not a good thing. Templars novices were trained rigorously from a young age to become full-fledged ones. The training was long and full of hard tests to weed out those most weak of will and spirit. As such and given enough time, a unit of well-trained templars was a deadly force one normally would not go against, which is exactly what they did.

"Watch out for the Desire demon! All mages, get behind the others unless you want a **Holy Smite** in the face!"

In this case, the heavy blows Sten and Naruto were capable of producing were very welcomed against the templars, with Leliana and Alistair assisting them. There was a close call when one of them suddenly threw himself at Leliana, who wasn't expecting it, but nothing bad came out of it. Meanwhile, Neria, Morrigan, Wynne and Solana dealt with the Desire demon. It was a good thing the demon was too busy maintaining her grip on the templars to be really effective on their fight against her. That meant no use of the thrall for the demon's part, which Neria was eternally grateful for as she didn't want a repeat from her experience at Soldier's Peak.

Nonetheless, the group soon emerged victorious. With more scrapes and bruises than expected, yes, but alive and relatively well.

Since Naruto told them the adjacent rooms had been already looted, they set to rest for a couple of minutes to catch their breath while Naruto gave Neria a rundown of everything useful his clones had found. There were several coin bags that put together made a nice amount of sovereigns, a number of runes –to which Naruto shamelessly revealed it was a big amount of them when prodded about it- and some other trinkets. However, the most interesting loot was the different notes from different apprentices related to the ones they had found throughout the Tower floors.

From the looks of it, it involved a long forgotten ritual in order to summon an "ancient power". For that to happen, they had to activate four different statues, though Neria strongly suspected three of them could be the ones in the Great Hall since they were the more characteristic out of them all. However, they did agree that it was not the best moment to go off performing ancient rituals, at least until the current situation had been dealt with.

After that, they moved into the central room, which, according to Neria and the other Circle mages, was circular one. Obviously, they simply couldn't go on unchallenged and the abomination inside the chamber didn't waste any time throwing itself at them. Surprisingly, the abomination was noticeably stronger than all the others they had fought previously and they had to react accordingly. Still, the abomination was only one foe up against several highly skilled warriors in their chosen weapons and abilities. It didn't survive for long and they were able to continue their way to the top of the Tower.

They reached the fourth floor, the templars quarters, but their journey hit an unexpected stop when they stumbled upon a lone Desire demon whispering sweet nothings to an enthralled templar. The demon seemed to have ensnared him in an illusion where he believed she was his wife and they had children. It was a mildly disturbing scene to see him make kissing faces, even though the demon appeared to be enjoying the moment.

"Demon, stop enthralling this templar. Now!"

After a few words between demon and templar, the first turned to them, angry scowl in her unearthly face. **"You are intruding upon a very loving, intimate moment and I _dislike_ disruptions."**

"What are you doing to him, demon?" Wynne demanded to know with a grave voice but knowing that the littlest movement could set the demon off.

The demon merely tilted her horned head and Neria couldn't help but follow the movements. **"There's a certain... power in all things mortals delight in. I merely gave him something he longed for."**

"So then... how did you manage this?" Neria asked with a frown, body tensed in case of a fight breaking out but the demon simply curled her lips into a smile that screamed of 'predator' as she looked at her.

**"Interested, I see. I only sought his loneliness and longing for a family that loved him,"** she explained as she kept eyeing Neria with a mysterious smile, as if privy to something only she knew. However, there was a certain hunger in her eyes and they didn't leave Neria for a moment.

"She's taken away his free will. This is unholy!" Leliana proclaimed as she drew her bow but the demon simply raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

**"Hadn't it been for me, no one else would have known his heart. Not even he himself did."**

"And that should tell me you're doing a good thing?" Neria retorted with a flat look.

**"We are partners. I give him something no one else would or could have given him otherwise. And through him, I experience what it is to be mortal. There are many things to discover, experience and enjoy and I don't wish to part from them any time soon,"** the demon told them before she refocused her attention on Neria. **"But I recognize you well, mage. It is just a shame you have arrived so late. I would have liked to keep you to myself,"** she mused half absently as she kept her gaze fixated on Neria, who felt a little uneasy at the intensity of her stare.

"What are you implying? How can you recognize me?" Neria questioned archly.

**"… Didn't you know? We all felt it when you came into your own, bonfire. You are a beacon. I am surprised no one has claimed you, mortal. I can see your most coveted desires… Perhaps I will seek you at some point…"** she stated with an enticing smile, making Neria narrow her eyes in steely coldness.

"… I am not a toy for your kind, demon. You are going to answer my questions, whether you want it or not," she announced as she stepped towards the Desire demon while reaching for her new staff.

In response to her threatening behavior, the Desire demon simply chuckled as a purple mist surrounded her and the templar. **"I don't think so; perhaps we will meet again… I certainly hope so..."** The group, sensing their targets were about to leave raised their weapons and charged at them. Leliana, who already had her bow drawn, fired an arrow at the demon but the mist burned it as soon as the projectile touched it, proving itself to be of corrosive nature for those considered a threat. Therefore, they were forced to watch as demon and templar disappeared, the purple mist vanishing with them. Naruto had been about to jump in but stopped himself when he saw the highly corrosive propriety of the mist. The Uzumaki clan was known for their vitality and longevity, not amazing fast-healing prowess and he didn't want to test himself with such thing when he no longer had Kurama with him.

"The demon escaped… We shouldn't have let it talk but what's done is done. Even so, what it said worries me greatly," Wynne said as she threw a glance at Neria, who lowered her head, trying to understand the demon's mysterious words.

"I doubt we should worry so. Desire demons are arguably the most cunning of all but everything said by them should be held as improbable truth at best," Morrigan shrugged. "All demons will twist every word they spout, if it benefits them. Though humans are as capable of that as them."

Morrigan's words were a comforting thought but everything the demon had said about her felt as if an ominous omen.

"We should… move on," Neria muttered to the others as she slowly made her way out of the room. She went directly to the circular room in this level but if she expected no more surprises, she would be sorely disappointed.

xxOOOxx

"… -eria, … up. …, wake… Damnit Neria, wake up!"

Neria groaned sleepily as she roused from her slumber. "Wha-? What's going on?"

"You fell asleep on the library. Again."

The flat, yet amused voice to her right came to her and she was finally able to register to whom it belonged. "Naruto! You really shouldn't wake me up like that! And for that matter, where are we? I-I can't remember how exactly I got here…"

Naruto looked at her with mild concern as he stepped closer. "You're not forgetting things already, aren't you? You're not that old," he laughed a little. "It must be 'cause you just woke up. Don't you remember? Some of us came to the Brecilian ruins to discover more about the elves that lived here. We haven't been here even a week, really. After killing the archdemon some weeks ago, we decided to travel a little. Well, more like you were firmly decided to go and we sort of followed your lead, really," he explained with a grin.

Ah yes, the memories came now to her: the desire to discover more about Arlathan and the ruins, the small group that came with her, Lanaya's warm welcome and the other elves' acceptance of her… Strange, how could she have forgotten? Still, something was nagging at the deepest corner of her mind but she couldn't fully grasp it… Something about Irving…

'_But he's perfectly healthy at the Tower…'_ Neria frowned confusedly.

"Let's go, Neria. We should get to the others. Don't want Morrigan and Alistair to kill each other with poor Fang there, after all," he chuckled as he led her through the maze of underground corridors.

They had camped just in the middle of the main entrance as Naruto said, confirmed by the memories that came to her just as he commented it. She was seriously getting worried, was she losing short-term memory now? _'No, it must be me just being sleepy,' _she reassured herself.

However, the nagging at her mind didn't lessen as they idly chatted and she had just this odd feeling that she was forgetting something truly important. Wait…

"Naruto, how do you know your way around the Brecilian ruins?" she suddenly asked with a frown. As far as she knew, he had never been here. Something didn't quite add up here…

"Don't you remember? We've been here for several weeks; I should know the place by now, but damn, I got lost more times than I can remember!"

A perfectly plausible explanation and yet… a tiny suspicion started to grow in her mind. "Oh, didn't you say we had been here for a week just a moment before?"

Something was not right here.

Naruto simply waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Bah, just a slip of my tongue. Don't think about it. Come with the others and rest, aren't you tired?" Ha inquired, a strange suggestive tone in his voice and she suddenly felt very tired, just as Naruto had said. But it felt _wrong_.

"I… There…" The damn nagging would just _not_ go away! Something about Irving but, what? The Tower… the children. There had been…something… a demon. Yes, something about blood… what about blood? And then, everything suddenly clicked into place. The Blight, Ostagar, the treaties. The elves, Zathrian and Lanaya, the vallaslin. Soldier's Peak, Levi, Avernus and his potion… The Tower, Irving, the abominations and the children, Solana… blood mages…

The Sloth demon.

'_I'm in the Fade,'_ she realized with a startle as she looked around. Everything around her lost… _something, _a certain brightness... Everything felt jaded unfocused and she immediately knew she wasn't actually in the Brecilian forests. The Fade constructs only looked real just a moment ago because her own mind believed them to be real but now that the veil from her eyes had been lifted, she could discern the fake memories from the real ones.

"Neria? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong, I mean. I just realized something very important…" she trailed off, thinking. The others had to be around, close, in their own nightmares. As they had been bewitched by the same demon, they had to be necessarily in the same realm of the Fade. This made things easier –if only slightly.

"Oh? Which is?"

"That this is only a bad dream. I can see through your lies now, _demon,"_ she spat with a glare. She wouldn't let herself be fooled again.

However, not-Naruto looked at her with something akin to concern as he stepped towards her. "Neria, are you sure you feel alright? You're acting really weird."

The demon still tried to sway her, could it not see it wouldn't work again? She ruthlessly crushed the insidious whispering of her doubts as they appeared.

"Enough! Even your impersonation of Naruto is of bad taste and badly done. Go away and crawl to whatever hole you came from."

Finally, not-Naruto abandoned its cover as Naruto's face contorted into a hateful snarl, an expression she was hard-pressed to believe the real Naruto would wear. "**Foolish mortal, what would you know of him? Has he ever told you anything about himself? Has ever been truthful to you?" **non-Naruto jeered with a mocking grimace, its voice suddenly gaining a more demonic tome. **"But if you wish to wake to a harsh world, then so be it!"** it shouted as it lunged at her.

However, Neria easily sidestepped the demons' sword and sent a powerful shock to her foe, ending its life instantly.

"And for the record, you can't measure up to him in a fight, either," she stated with a deadpan expression. "The real Naruto wouldn't have charged up ahead so recklessly. He'd have some kind of plan, at least. So you fail."

She couldn't possibly know that Naruto's own powers were something completely alien to a demon's nature by principle itself, thus making them unable to copy his abilities.

"Honestly, to think I let myself get fooled by this…" she muttered to herself while shaking her head in disbelief. "Still, no time to beat me up about it, need to get the others," she said as a weird-looking fountain faded into view. It looked like a twisted version of those summoning fountains they used in the Tower. "Let's hope we can get this business over with soon."

xxOOOxx

"I _sooo_ hate Sloth demons!" Neria growled as she stumbled out of another fountain-portal thingy and into another nightmare. "My poor feet are killing me…"

She had wandered around this realm for what seemed hours that stretched endlessly and most of the time it seemed as if she didn't have a real destination or clear goal in sight. Sure, she'd gotten those amazing powers of shape-shifting from those Dreamers –there was no question in her mind that the golem form ruled, being able to walk away from a beating just like that-, but the constant going and coming from one Dreamer's nightmare to another was seriously getting her worked up. It was so _ridiculously_ tedious it was not even mildly funny.

The only thing good that came out of them were the idea of taking up shape-shifting from Morrigan and all those nice boosts lying around that she had the suspicion were permanent, which could only be a very good thing.

She had found Niall, too. He'd managed to free himself from the illusions as well but had been unable to piece together just how to escape the Fade. Sadly, he'd been unable to go from there.

Thankfully though, it seemed she was done with the Dreamers' Nightmares and now she could enter her companions' without impediment. About bloody time! She had already gotten several of her friends but Leliana, Solana and Naruto still remained.

Grumbling, she raised her head to something she never expected –or wanted- to see.

xxOOOxx

"Oooh, what the hell hit me?" he groaned as he got to his feet. He was in his room, no question about that so why had he woken up on the floor? He didn't like sleeping on it, even if he was used to it! "I'm _so_ not challenging Bee-sensei to a heavy drinking contest again. It doesn't end well," he feebly bleared as he tried to get himself onto the bed.

Kurama was strangely slow on healing him, the damn furball. He shouldn't have pranked him so much in retaliation for those hellish months with his senses heightened to the extreme, with all the uncomfortable situations it produced.

"Rough night, huh? You should know better than to challenge Bee-sempai to a drinking contest. He's almost as obsessed with those as he is with his rapping," a female voice chuckled and Naruto turned around to see Yugito-san standing on the doorframe.

They were good friends, having worked on Bijuu mastery at the Turtle island. Well, more like Yugito tried to surpass the limits and reach new stages of power while he butted heads with Kurama, trying to establish a bond of friendship. The old furball had a thick skull but nothing his therapy-jutsu couldn't fix, anyway!

"Yugito-san, you got me at a very bad moment! This hangover is killing me and the furball is being his unhelpful self again," he complained as he rubbed his temples.

"Oh, Yugito-san, is it now?" she smirked with a coy smile. "What happened to the Yugito-chan, hmm?" she asked as she entered the room, hips swaying.

Naruto's face flushed red as his gaze inevitably zeroed in on the enticing body of his fellow Jinchuriki. He had to admit she had a great body, not that he would ever say it out loud in her face. She was way out of his reach, anyway.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. And what are you doing in my room, anyway?"

Yugito laughed. "This is our room, Naruto. For us alone, don't you remember?" she reminded him as she approached the bed.

"Wait, what?" That was news to him. Why hadn't granny Tsunade told him about this? However, Yugito frowned as she looked at him weirdly. Strange, she acted as if he should know about it already.

"Naruto, you're acting oddly. Is something wrong?" she asked with barely hidden concern as she raised a hand to touch him but he climbed out of bed as he got to his feet. The situation was going from weird to plain out bizarre. Yugito kept on acting as if they were _very _intimate, which they were definitely _not_. He would remember otherwise, right?

"Woah, hold on, what's gotten into you, Yugito-san?"

That was definitely not the thing to say as Yugito's face went from shocked to angered, even if there was confusion on it."What's gotten into me? What the- Naruto, don't you remember _me_?! For fuck's sake, we've been together almost a year, I thought I meant something to you!" she hissed through gritted teeth as her arms shook in anger.

However, Naruto certainly wasn't expecting the sudden flood of memories he received when she angrily grabbed his arm.

Everything he'd lived through with Yugito and his his relationship with her came rushing at him like the water of a broken dam: from the awkward beginning and the age difference to the powerful and silent trust they had in each other as time passed and their relationship strengthened, to the shocked disbelief of many of his friends. He could remember every stolen kiss, every half whispered word of comfort in the middle of the night… He made his the jumble of memories assaulting him and he remembered her, his Yugito, only realizing now he'd forgotten completely about what they had shared.

And he remembered her death, too. A cacophony of screams, torn flesh and oozing blood.

"Oh, Kami…" he gasped as he stumbled forward, as if physically hit. The memories shattered the illusion created by the Sloth demon that he could now recall. Everything was a lie. This Yugito was a mockery of everything she truly was, the demon couldn't really scope the full meaning of Yugito and everything she represented.

And yet, how could he have forgotten about such a part of himself, something that completed him as a whole? _How?_

Everything in him screamed to destroy this aberration, this demon that had dared to mimic Yugito's face. He tried to fight the urge; he had to get to the others. He had to get to Neria and help her.

"Naruto, you remember now? Thank Kami, what had gotten into you?" the aberration murmured as it finally saw the astonished recognition in his eyes. The demon hugged him, thinking he was still under its thrall and he had to grit his teeth to not lash out in a murdering spree. He held onto the memories of him and the real Yugito as a balsamic oasis for his weary mental state.

"I miss you so much…" he whispered softly. She had died so many years ago, but only now that he had remembered her death he could feel the characteristic aching sensation of loss.

"I'm here, Naruto. You mustn't lose yourself. Stay with me, Naruto. Stay with me, _forever_," the demon whispered enticingly but he seemed not to hear the demon's words.

"Yugito… I'm so sorry… I failed you…"

"Shhh, Naruto, snap out of it. Look at me, I'm alive. I'm here, I'm with you," non-Yugito tried to reassure him but Naruto suddenly looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes.

"No, you're not."

Non-Yugito gasped as cold steel suddenly pierced its abdomen but it soon turned into an enraged gurgle. The demon made a jerky move to attack Naruto but he emotionlessly parried it and slit her throat open. The demon fell to her knees, trying so very hard to say something, to shout something, but the only thing that came out of its throat was an anguished and disturbing gurgling cough.

The body stopped moving not long after that and Naruto blankly stared at the demon's body as blood started pooling around it.

"Naruto?" Neria's cautious, hesitant voice reached out to him. He made a small jerky move with his head, showing he'd heard her.

"How long were you there?" He simply asked.

"… Only half-way through it… Was she- was she someone important?" she asked, almost shyly.

He thought of misdirecting the question, as he'd done already so many times, and he almost went through it once more, but he reconsidered the idea. Did it matter anymore? He was so tired from everything…

"Her name was Yugito…" he started in a flat tone as they kept staring at the dead body. "Our relationship started as an odd one, mainly because she was some years older than me. We were... we had a bond of kinship that turned into love. We made it work," he stated with a little sigh. "We were happy… It didn't last; she died in my... in a war of my homeland. She's been dead for many, many years now."

Neria turned to look at the body of the killed demon, assuming correctly it was Yugito's body. The slight feeling of satisfaction for _finally_ getting some answers out of Naruto after several weeks felt like nothing as she gazed at the demon using Yugito's form. She was noticeably taller than her, perhaps even slightly taller than Naruto himself. She had long blond hair too, though hers was of a lighter shade and bound into a long ponytail with bandages. She had also bandages covering her arms and legs and she wore characteristically styled clothes, the likes of which Neria had never seen before. Moreover, having seen her before Naruto killed the demon posing as Yugito, she had managed to get a good look at her.

Yugito was beautiful, possessing a certain type of grace that you could only be born with and it was obvious any man would be lucky to be with her. For a single moment, something malicious stirred in Neria as she stared at Naruto's former lover.

Looking at him however, all previous thoughts were forgotten when she glanced at Naruto and saw, startled, that he was crying as he stared at nothing.

"Naruto… you're crying…" she said out loud in shock. Of all people, she wouldn't have thought Naruto would start crying. It spoke volumes of it when even he himself seemed surprised by it, if a little detached about the whole thing, as he lifted a hand and touched the tears.

"It's a bit funny, you know? Before… this, I had forgotten completely about her. No memories of her, nothing at all. How could have something like this happened? It's a bit ironic, don't you think? So very ironic that this same demon managed to use my own forgotten memories against me," he muttered as he crouched next to the cooling corpse. "But it's not the same, disguising as Yugito is not being Yugito. She was so much more… It's the lowest thing that could be done to her memory... and it pisses me off," he suddenly snarled as he viciously punched the ground and his whole body seemed to beat with a reddish aura.

The atmosphere around them grew heavy and thick and Neria found it hard to breathe as she started to shake from an unnatural fear that gripped her entire being. She barely realized Naruto was using subconsciously that Killer Intent technique from before but this felt even more positively murderous, hateful. Everything was terrifying and the only sane thought that racked her mind was to be killed so the horrors she saw would stop. It was a wonder in itself she managed to stay upright, even if barely. This was lessened greatly when Naruto subconsciously chose a specific target for all his rage, namely the Sloth demon imprisoning them.

"Did that bastard really think I would be trapped again against my will? That I would not snap out of it? And worse, using my own memories against me, ones which they so happened to be locked?" he asked himself with a low growl. The red aura around him pulsed again as Naruto chuckled slightly. "Oh, no, this won't do at all. No, no, no! You'll pay for this, bastard, just you wait!" he cackled.

Meanwhile, the red aura around him kept pulsating as Neria looked hopelessly, not knowing what to do.

xxOOOxx

Many miles away, in another country, a woman remained alone in her office. It was already well past midnight but there were several important documents that needed to be revised by her personally. That would be okay with her if it wasn't because it was always related to those inside her order opposing her. Some were subtle about it, others not so much but they all were clearly out for her blood. Some of the veteran Reverend Mothers were on her side, as loosely as the term could be applied. Their unspoken loyalty was hard to determine, however, and it was assured some of those only sided with her because of their own agendas, whatever those may be.

At least she had the major support of the younger members of the order, whatever rank they held not-withstanding but there was only so much they could do. Their influence only went so far, after all.

"Damn all these narrow-minded fools! My job would be much easier if they didn't oppose me at every turn. As if it wasn't hard enough to keep the tension between templars and mages at the minimum," she complained to herself. "I can't believe they're trying to bog me down with more and more paperwork, though…"

Still, despite her own grumbling, this was something she thrived in. Orlais breathed in the Grand Game as if it was the blood of the country itself. Theirs was a refined and delicate game of intrigue and multiple backstabbing, unlike Tevinter's crude power grabs, which were all about show of power. No finesse at all, though there were sparks of such thing from time to time.

She was often regarded as one of the best players of the Game, something which brought a smile to her face every time she heard it. Perhaps that's why Bellatrix, the third of her name, had appointed her as her successor, in spite of many older and –auto-proclaimed- wiser than her. Well, too bad she intended to go against basically many of the things her predecessor had given her support to.

Now if only she could finally get rid of these pesky documents…

However, those documents would go summarily forgotten for several days when a necklace passed from one Divine to another started humming and beating in a reddish aura. The necklace had always been placed in a recliner, one the Divine's desk, a tradition each Divine had followed ceremoniously for a reason only they knew. Dropping the documents in disbelieving silence, she slowly turned her head to the necklace, almost afraid of what she would see. The necklace itself was rather plain, only a piece of a green rock between two very small blue beads. However, the necklace itself was pulsing angrily in a red hue, hiding completely the green.

Each Divine had been impressed by their predecessor the reason of such a thing happening, if it did at all. It was a secret they had kept hidden from everyone else in Thedas, a terrible secret that had been dormant for centuries. They had killed to leave it forgotten in the swirls of time.

Shaking in fear, Justinia quickly got to her feet and rushed to the adjoined library. In her feverish search, she knocked away many great works and pieces of written art, acquired through many methods during the centuries. Few, if any, were legal. Finally, she found what she was looking for. Justinia grabbed the aged folder –it had turned an almost brown color from the time it had remained in the archive- and set to confirm or deny the horrible omen. The answer was in the few papers inside the folder and she almost dreaded to know the answer.

She had read the files inside how many times now? Several already, but there could be one scrap of information that perhaps she'd missed.

Justinia, the fifth of her name, quickly scanned the papers, discarding aside everything she already knew or had read.

_We had to seal him away… _No, she had read that.

…_no regrets… _Justinia didn't eve spare a glance to the paragraph.

…_The Reunion… _A mysterious thing that had never been resolved what it was, but not this either.

_We saw neither madness nor sanity in… _A disturbing notion but no…

…_locked away in_ _Ferelden… _Useless, but the fact that there was a Blight going on Ferelden just now was a worrying thought. But wait, the next lines had something!

_The Crystal reacted to his presence and emotions. The link seems broken, now that he's been put away under heavy locks. It feels utterly dead now though, when it felt warm to the touch before, according to the description of several who had held the Crystal. We brought the Crystal to the lands of Inghirsh, in the hands of one of Maferath's sons. There's much unrest right now and…_

That, she hadn't seen before. Inghirsh had been one of the southern lands of ancient Tevinter, if she remembered correctly. From there, the necklace –Crystal, as the files called it- had somehow found its way to Justinia I's hand and it had passed from one Divine to another ever since.

_The Scourge, the Bane of the Lands… He was Winterborne, for he brought Winter with him. _

Justinia gulped. The Scourge, as the archives of old called that being, had been sealed away shortly before the Prophet died by Hessarian's sword, but the reasons were unknown –meaning they had never been written down on paper, most likely to preserve the secret. Justinia just assumed The Scourge to be an incredibly powerful being, most likely an abomination. But the Crystal had never reacted in such a way before –she was sure her predecessors would have recorded it, should that have happened-, which only mean one thing.

The Scourge now roamed freely around Thedas.

She carefully hid the folder again, just in case, and rushed to the single templar warding her office. He was perhaps the best that she knew personally and was utterly loyal to her alone and no one else. Some had derisively taken to call him the Divine's Shadow. Fools, none of them understood. He slightly turned to peer at her through the opening in his helmet in silent concern at the Divine's disheveled and clearly distressed state.

"Bernard, I need to see Celene as soon as possible. Contact her and don't stop for anything, you have my full authority on this matter. Told her to come see me as soon as her other duties allow her. Tell her it is of utmost importance," she hurriedly instructed before pulling a small black tile with a red circle painted on one of its faces. "You must give her this personally and without anyone near enough to see it. She will understand."

"If that's what you wish of me, my Grace," Bernard spoke in a soft voice as he took the mysterious tile. He'd never seen something similar like it in his life.

"Yes, I know I can trust you with my live. I know you won't fail me."

Bernard tipped his head in silent acknowledgment of the trust put on his shoulders and went away to accomplish his task, even if it was in the middle of the night.

Meanwhile, Justinia staggered into her chair before staring at the necklace in fear. "… This is bad… I have to inform the others… The Council of Wisemen must reunite again…"

Change was coming to Thedas far more quickly than expected and Justinia knew that the upcoming years would decide who died, who survived and who triumphed.

xxOOOxx

"Gnnnh… Oh, I can't believe I woke up in a blood-covered floor," sulked a moody Leliana. "It will take ages to take it off my hair."

Alistair shot her a disbelieving stare as he stretched a little, trying to ease up a small cramp. "After all we've been through and you're still re surprised by such a thing as waking up on a bloodied floor after escaping the Fade ralm of a demon? I mean, everybody does that once in their lives!"

"Sarcasm sure did find a great herald in you, Alistair."

"Thanks, I do try. Still, those were some awesome moves, Naruto. Pretty terrifying, though," Alistair told his fellow blond.

Naruto, simply nodded once with a stony facade but didn't say anything. Everyone had been surprised when an enraged Naruto had, for all intents and purposes, gone full berserk on the Sloth demon even before it could utter so much of a single word, in a fight so immensely one-sided that it had been even painful to look at. Morrigan though, had enjoyed the thorough beating of the demon for making them waste their precious time. The curb-stomping had served as a reminder to the others that Naruto was someone_ not_ to be trifled with or _really_ anger in any way. The powers he commanded were incredibly powerful, and unlike anything the mages of Thedas had ever seen.

It raised again the question of who exactly was Naruto and the group as a whole found it progressively harder to hold on their rather imperative questions as days passed. It wasn't a matter of personal curiosity for someone who allegedly had lived during the era of Andraste and the Tevinter Imperium, the one of the truly powerful magisters of old. It was also a matter of urgency because they _had_ to know who was travelling with them, they had to be sure they weren't travelling with a walking ticking bomb.

After all, no one could fully ignore the fact they had found Naruto imprisoned in the middle of nowhere –quite literally, really. It was obvious that whoever had put him in there really didn't want him to get out. Naruto's misdirections of the questions didn't help either, each one getting even more ridiculous than the previous one. Maker, he'd assured them at one point he was a half-breed son of a powerful human king and his elven lover that had turned too powerful, politically and power-wise, for his own good!

Of course, having opened up just a bit to Neria, she knew this story in particular was filled with so much bullshit, as Naruto would say, that she'd found it difficult to hold her laughter in when he told the others, getting all dramatic as he led them on. She had refrained from calling him out on it, too amused with the whole situation to say anything. He certainly knew how to spin a believable tale out of such a ridiculous-sounding premise, though.

'_After this mess, I will confront Naruto on it. No more hiding, no more excuses,' _Neria thought with a frown as she glanced at Naruto. He had to answer for that malicious aura that engulfed him in the Fade as well. That couldn't be a good thing.

Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, Neria passed the Litany of Adralla to Wynne, the one responsible with using it should it prove to be necessary. She was, after all, their support mage and best healer of all mages in the Circle overall. She then moved carefully Niall's corpse to a side, mindful to keep it hidden and uncaring of the blood sticking to her armor. She was adamant to give him a hero's funeral. He was the reason they now had a solid defense against blood magic. Even if he had ultimately failed to accomplish his goal in the end, his sacrifice wouldn't be forgotten.

"Alright guys, just a bit little more. The Harrowing chamber is just atop this floor. Everything will be over soon, for better or worse," Neria morbidly told the others.

They all started to walk towards the other exit of the room but Neria noticed Naruto stayed put, a look of pure concentration on his face. "Naruto? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure… I think I'm hearing something coming this way."

Neria frowned shrugged. "We've killed all our enemies in our way. One of your clones perhaps?"

"No, they have all dispelled themselves; they have found everything and rescued everyone they found," he answered uneasily. He had a bad feeling about this.

Solana, who was the one closest to them, approached as she drew her staff. "Should we expect trouble, then?"

"Most likely. I-wait… everything's silent now…"

They all stayed silent for several moments until Neria let out an aggravated breath. "We can't deal with this now. Naruto go take a look, will you?"

Just has Naruto had taken a step, the door banged open and several armor clad men rushed in with their weapons drawn. They sported heavy armor but it looked like a more streamlined and far less, less bulky than the one normal templars wore. It was obvious they were a unit of special templars. Their armors were also of much better quality than that of a normal templar but strangely enough, they looked dented and scratched, with several splotches of black blood covering parts of it. Slash marks adorned some of the breastplates. They all wore their helmets, hiding their facades to the world, but even those looked like they had recently gotten out of a rough scrape. They immediately halted when they spotted Neria's group.

The situation was definitely an anticlimactic one for a few moments as the two groups stared at each other but the spell was broken when their leader finally reacted. "Abominations! Don't hold back, men!"

Two of them quickly raised their arms and send devastatingly powerful **Holy Smites** at them. Every little hair on Neria's nape stood up as she felt the **Smites** approach. There was no physical way to evade them in such a short notice and she braced herself for the worst experience in all her life to reach her. The ability wasn't unofficially called Mage's bane among the mages ranks for nothing, after all. However, she hadn't expected for Solana to jump in front of them and hastily erect a barrier, against which the **Smites** crashed viciously. Solana jerked violently as if physically hit but the effort in using a magical barrier against something like a **Holy Smite **was suicidal at best.

It was understandable her surprise, then, when Solana's barrier managed to nullify the templar's attack. It was unheard of such things, for all Neria knew the attacks should have pierced through Solana's magical barrier like a hot knife pierces butter, as if it wasn't there at all. It did come as with a heavy cost though, as Solana's fatigue finally caught up to her with the tremendous effort she had used. The Force user doubled over as she violently emptied the contents of her stomach with ragged breaths, blood mixing with the vomit. Seconds later, she fell to the side, clearly knocked out but in obvious pain (the expression of her face told as much) and her body kept twitching every few seconds.

Alistair and Leliana quickly rushed to their fallen comrade in arms as they positioned themselves in front of her body in a protective gesture. The others reacted accordingly and raised their weapons in order to defend themselves.

Fury coursed her body as Neria processed their sudden encounter. While she hadn't talked or interacted with Solana as much as Anders or Jowan, what with her being several years older than her, she had been a good ally and a welcomed face amongst the chaos. She thought they had even gotten a bit closer. She only wanted to rip those stupid templars apart. She wanted… she wanted…

Suddenly, Naruto's hand was on her shoulder and she was able to snap out of it. Reacting quickly, she raised a hand to the templars rushing at them. "Wait! We're no abominations! We're Grey Wardens-"

"Don't listen to their lies! Make them pay for the blood they've spilled! Attack!" the leader of the group of templars shouted.

"No mercy for the wicked! Kill them all!"

xxOOOxx

Pet rushed past several forests as he kept his final destination in mind. Pet crossed forgotten paths and rocky passages from mountains that only he knew and could pass. His goal was clear and nothing would lead him away from it.

Pet grumbled as he tried to ignore the small annoyance that were his injuries. They were leaving a trail of black blood behind him, but no one would be able to follow him, much less find the trail. He ran for several days without sleep or rest. It had been long since he needed either of these, though that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy them.

Pet reached the spiked forest. He could cross it with his eyes closed by now. One jump, two, three. A small, calculated spin to last longer on the air and reach the fourth platform. The fourth jump, the last.

Pet went through the waterfall, knowing Master was waiting for his arrival already. Shaking the water off him, he dutifully resumed his journey. After several more minutes, he finally reached the ruins and it wasn't long until he arrived at Master's side. Luckily, the heart was already cracking merrily and he approached to warm himself.

"Finally back, heh? You must be losing your touch, my Pet. I expected you here two days ago," Master commented and Pet couldn't help the whine in his voice. It wasn't his fault those two-legs had managed to harm him. He had killed one of them as payback, however, and that was good enough.

"Oh, don't give me that look. I know perfectly well you got careless and you paid for it. Still, it was even better than what I asked of you, so I should compliment you rather than be scolding you," Master conceded and Pet gave his full support of the idea as he approached Master's armchair. Mater's pale and nimble hand reached out to him and started petting him, minding the vicious spikes on Pet's back and neck.

"Yes, you did well, my Pet. I wasn't sure you'd be able to hold off those templars for long enough, but it seems my fears were misplaced, once again. You're a very special Pet, you know?"

Pet rumbled his assent to Master's obvious statement as he felt Master's magic work on his injuries, slipping into him through the petting. In a matter of seconds, he was as good as new and Pet let Master know so. Master stopped the flow of magic but didn't stop the petting, something that pleased Pet immensely.

"You know… It won't be long until I will reveal myself. Just some months actually. I'll admit I'm a bit … nervous."

Pet huffed a little, letting Master know exactly what he thought of those words. "Stupid? Perhaps, my Pet, but it's been many years since then… I can only imagine the reaction... It won't be pretty, that's for sure. I can only hope everything will work out in the end with her. Still, it will be good to reveal myself after all these years. I was beginning to think the day would never come! We must prepare for his arrival."

Pet grunted.

"… The templars? Oh, well, those you held off are not really important but I couldn't have them interfering too soon. After all, what good is reaching your goal without hardship, don't you think, my Pet? After you left, they reached the Circle Tower just fine. Soon, very soon I'll be able to end this charade and reach out to my legacy." Master said and Pet could feel the eager and elated excitement in his Master's voice.

Pet could feel in his old bones the winds of change. He couldn't wait for them to arrive.

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus<strong>

_Omake _(To **TheGreatBubbaJ:** This one is for you, my friend!)

Their little band of misfits and evil-doers had saved the day once again, even if such a thing induced strong nausea in some of their members. Oh well, it couldn't really be helped but it was a little sickening to see the masses throwing themselves at them just for a chance to please them, truthfully. Morrigan, for example, wasn't sure whether she should be disgusted by such thing or milk it for all it was worth.

Since Neria was currently going through the stubborn childish phase, she had demanded they be rewarded with all kind of sweets and pastries. It had been amusing to see Sten, the normally stern and cold qunari, hoard most of them for him after trying one, though. They were currently trying to break the door from the room he had hid with all the cookies.

"I'm warning you, Sten! Step away from _my_ cookies! Surrender and you will be harmed in a highly painful and creative way, say, being forced to watch us eat the cookies while tied to a chair and listening to Leliana singing the Chant of Light!" Neria threatened as she pounded the door.

"Er, you surely meant, 'and you won't be harmed', yes?" Leliana asked Neria with a deadpan look at Neria's last remark.

"Shut up, Leliana, I'm having a moment here! I know exactly what I said!"

"I will not yield, _Bas Saarebas._ These sweet-crumbling pastries are mine. I do not share," Sten stated before a loud sound of munching echoed from the door in a clear taunt.

"The cookies!" Neria shouted with a horrified gasp. "You monster! I will see you punished for this!

Naruto, who just happened to pass by them, just looked at them with pursed lips. "Neria, you know they are _just_ cookies, right?

"Just cookies? Just cookies?! How can you say such a thing, Naruto?! What Sten has done is unforgivable! I promised him to share the cookies only with him but he tricked me and scurried away with all of them. Some of them were even cheese-flavored!"

"What?! Cheese-flavored cookies and you didn't intend to give them to me?!" Alistair shouted in outrage.

"Well, you clearly didn't need them, seeing as you were too busy trying to discover how deep you could stick your tongue into Leliana's throat," Neria smoothly replied as if she had done nothing wrong.

The two aforementioned persons flushed red in embarrassment, stammering clumsily as they tried to deny Neria's comment, who only smiled at them in a patronizing way.

"You don't need to justify yourselves, my friends. I know everything about it… for I am your evil overlord!" She cackled, to the confusion of the others. As the others stared, Neria kept on cackling until it just became an awkward thing. "That didn't work? Damn, it's the laugh, isn't it? I need to change it, don't you think? Make it more 'evil mastermind' kind of laugh."

"Go back to killing Sten and leave us alone," growled an aggravated Alistair.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me!" Neria brought two fingers to her mouth and whistled loudly. "I could use my magic but why bother? 'Sides, this is an omake. Nothing's supposed to make sense, anyway," Neria muttered with a dismissive wave.

"Omake? What's that?" Naruto asked with a confused frown but Neria looked at him in a disbelieving stare.

"You seriously don't know? Your universe in a galaxy far far away gets a massive load of those from bored-as-hell guys and you don't know what an omake is? For shame, Naruto!"

"Well then, what are they if you're so picky about it?"

"An omake? How in the seven blazes should I know what is that? I mean, it's not like we're being controlled by an external conscience!" Neria started rambling before breaking into a sudden fit of giggles. "External conscience… Isn't it funny? C'mon, you know it's funny. I mean, how ridiculous is that?"

Seeign as Neria's attention was elsewhere, Leliana tried to slip away unnoticed in that moment to get away from the madness but she made a face when Alistair grabbed her by the robes. It was clear he didn't want to suffer the craziness that was their leader on a sugar rush alone. Sadly, Naruto would be too much for him to handle, the bastard, so he could only grab onto Leliana. He wouldn't suffer alone but then again, he didn't mind grabbing onto Leliana. Or different parts of her, in any case…

In that moment, Neria's mabari finally arrived, happy to be of service.

"Finally! Okay, Ser Bite-a-bit, attack! Use Tackle!"

Ser Bite-a-bit barked and charged at the door, which got utterly destroyed by the mabari's sheer power of badassery.

"Wait, wait, wait! Wasn't your mabari supposed to be called Barkspawn?!"

"Barkspawn! Perish the thought! How could you believe I'd name my sweet and loyal mabari such a distasteful name?!" Neria gasped enraged.

"Indeed Alistair, you're such an insensitive jerk!" Leliana glared at him and he couldn't help the gulp. He was in for a week of sleeping on the couch, he just knew it. "Ser Bite-a-bit is too dreadful of a name, though. His name was Rabbit, I know it! Oh wait, Schmooples, let's call him Schmooples!" she squealed in delight.

"Are you daft?! No way my mabari's name is Rabbit! He's a war-hound, not a house pet!"

"Can we call him Schmooples, then?"

"Go away less I smite you down, you heathen…"

Morrigan sighed loudly, attracting the others' attention to herself. She had arrived some time before but had been unnoticed until that moment. "Tis a most disturbing experience. I expected this from Alistair, but from you all?"

"Oh, yeah, so what is his name supposed to be, huh? Or are you too snobbish to lower yourself to our level, us mere mortals?" Alistair taunted her, in a surprisingly well-intoned haughty tone, which was certainly_ not_ one like Morrigan's.

Morrigan stared at Neria's mutt. Ser Bite-a-bit tilted his head and whined lowly as he returned the stare. He didn't understood why they fought over his name.

"The mutt's name is Shale."

"No! Dammit, his name is Ser Bite-a-bit! I'm not changing his name to one that screams 'hulking mass of crystal and rock'!"

"Your dog doesn't have crystals on him and I doubt his flesh is stone. And he's not a hulking beast, either." The Witch of the Wilds deadpanned.

"W-whatever! Shale just sounds like that, okay?"

Morrigan just shook her head and walked away. It was dangerous to be near the others when idiocy and madness overtook them like that. Well, even more dangerous than usual.

"So… if it isn't Shale or whatever, Oreyn could fit, you know?" Alistair reminded her. "I seem to recall you called him that several times…"

"Lies, all lies! And Oreyn is lame name, anyway! What will it take to get through your thick skulls that my mabari's name is Ser Bite-a-bit!"

"So Shadowfang is out of the question, then?" Leliana asked as if Neria hadn't said anything at all.

"Shadowfang? Bah, his name is Shade, whatever you say!"

"Must not give into it… Must not give into it… Must not kill them…" Neria muttered as her hands twitched in barely restrained killing intent.

In that moment, Naruto touched her shoulder, trying to get her attention. "Neria, they are all giving you ridiculous names. Anyway, your mabari was named Fang, wasn't it?"

Neria for her part only looked affronted. "As if I would give him such a common name! He deserves a warrior's name. It's Ser Bite-a-bit and that's final! Now, let's get Sten and kill him!"

Sadly for her, it was not to be as they realized the room was empty, with no sign of Sten or the cookies.

"Oh, something shines on the floor with sparkly sparkles! …Uh, it's a note…"

'_Bas Saarebas, since you all were too busy squabbling like the unenlightened heathens you are, I have decided to take my leave…'_

"Oh, well then. Let him leave, see if I care," Neria sighed with a shake of her head.

'…_and I'm bringing these sweet-crumbling pastries with me.'_

"Scratch that, we're going after that hornless, good-for-nothing cookie thief!"

Just then, a villager rushed at them. "Warden, help us! The zombies are coming!" However, his plea went unanswered as he got a full Stone Fist to the face, smashing him against the wall and knocking him out.

"Ask the Queen of Antiva for help! The cookies are calling to me!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

Full props to TheGreatBubbaJ, who gave me the idea about the dog's name part of the omake (see, I hadn't forgotten about it!). If you've been around since the first chapters, you might remember that there were several times when the dog's name changed, since I couldn't decide which one I wanted. This is an in-joke about it. I hope you got all the references and Fourth Wall-breaking parts!

I tried really hard to find an inkle in the wikis as to how can a Desire demon know your heart's greatest desire. Mind-reading abilities? Not sure… but I hope it turned out alright.

Hmm, I do wonder if anyone will be able to understand the reasons behind Neria's "nightmare" and what fueled it, though. I did try to make it as believable as possible (aka: to the best of my abilities) and it's an original "Nightmare" too! The Weisshaupt one was just too generic and didn't really portray what an specific Warden would really feel/want. If anyone's curious, I was quite torn between the scene written and one where she wasn't a Warden and in the Tower, ready to become First Enchanter.

And about Naruto's dream, I hope it was not overly emo brooding. Trust me, although it will affect Naruto's growing relationship with Neria, it won't take much of the spotlight. And you know, for those that were waiting all along for some answers about Andraste, I'm sure you're feeling let down. Well, that was my intention all along *smirks*.

**Still, everything's finally moving! About time!**

I did get a kick out of it every time I described Solana as a Force user, though! Just so you know though, the only reason Solana was able to erect such powerful barrier against the Smites was because, as a Force user (DAII specialization :p), it is stated that you must have a tremendous amount of mental control and force of will to be able to wield it properly. Now combine that with the fact that Solana is one of the best gifted in it and regarded as a prodigy in the field… exactly.

So Justinia V finally appears directly… If you remember correctly, she was mentioned in Loghain's scene, musing about her 'taking office' speech (in what was an OoC moment for Loghain, since he wouldn't go to Orlais in normal circumstances. Ever. An horrible oversight for my part, I'll admit, but there's nothing I can do about it now without breaking the story). Worse yet, I don't even remember the reason why I deaged her! Still, I suppose Justinia's age really doesn't matter in the grander scheme of things in this fic, so…

However, a grievous mistake that I _must_ point out is that she ascended to Divine in 9:34 Dragon, four years after the Fifth Blight, when my own fic implies she took the position at some point _before _the Blight. Mea culpa, I know. Just think that as another part of the AU element and that Bellatrix III died sooner than she did in canon. I try to stay in-lore as much as I can but I missed this tiny detail.

Hm, what might this Council of Wisemen be?

There won't be more new appearances in the side-scenes, meaning I will use the ones who have appeared up until this point.

Dum dum dum! Who could the mysterious Master and his Pet be?! Find out next time in the Forgotten! … or not. Though I can promise next chapter will be the end of the Tower of Magi quest! Honest! And we'll finally see some real action! Woohooo! Take care all of you guys!

Until next time!

**Important Note: **I know I said I'd give you guys a peek about future events. But I thought better of it. I'm sorry if this sits bad with some of you. I could probably write them vague enough but I don't want to trip myself over with this. I want for all to be a surprise -aside of your own speculations, of course-.


	12. The Evil Within

I'M ALIVE! I could say I'm terribly sorry for the almost... three months of silence in this fic. It would be a partial truth, though. Real life and other hobbies apart from Fanfiction have kept me away from sitting down and really writing for a long time at once. You're actually lucky I'm posting this since next week I've got my last college exams for the year. Regardless, I hope I sort of make it up to you with a 22k+ or so long chapter. I'm spent.

A shout out to the Dragon Age fic _Dragonsteeth_ by Arsinoe de Blassenville (writer of Victory at Ostagar). It's a fic comprising of several parts of different DAO events which shows plot holes and other interesting details. Very recommended read.

So, thank you all who reviewed/favorite/started following the story, I don't forget you! It's much appreciated. We're now over 400 followers, so I'm pretty happy. Thank you all who made this possible!

With that said, here we are with another chapter full of pointless drabble and unnecessary introspection, as one reviewer eagerly pointed out. As always, feel free to point out a mistake or grammatical error if you see any. You might find some more this time, what with the longer chapter...

Finally, the showdown between Uldred and Neria's group marks the end of the Broken Circle quest. Who will come out victorious of such clash of titans? Let's find out!

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I do not own Naruto nor Dragon Age. They are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto and Bioware, respectively.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter eleven<strong>

**The Evil Within**

"Do not falter! Kill them!"

The templar leader's cry triggered his subordinates into actions as they rushed in a fanned out strategy.

"Get Solana out of there!" Neria screamed as the two groups ran at each other. Leliana and Alistair grabbed their fallen comrade and quickly moved away to leave her somewhere safe. "Try to knock them out!" Neria shouted, having realized they must have been the templars responsible to enact the Right of Annulment that Greagoir had talked about. Killing these templars would only add more problems, however, and would give the Chantry in Ferelden a reasonable excuse to ruthlessly hunt them down, something they really couldn't afford.

Sten and Naruto fought together as they clashed against two of the templars. One was carrying a greatsword and the other used the traditional style of sword and shield. They were skilled -_very_ skilled, they both realized- and neither couple of fighters was able to get the upper hand. Sten sent a vicious diagonal slash at the shield user but he only raised his shield to protect himself. The blow was a very powerful one and would have left some kind of damage had it not been for the set of glowing runes that briefly appeared on the surface of the shield, glowing brightly, as they absorbed the kinetic force and softened the tremendous blow delivered to manageable levels. Stunned for a moment, Sten left himself open for a moment and the templar used the opportunity to end his life.

Letting out a soft growl, the templar went for a three-strikes attack with his shield before dealing a killing blow with his sword but it the final attack never came as a blunt object crashed violently against his helmet, leaving a ringing noise on the slightly stunned templar's head. The dagger clinkered on the floor, having served its purpose. "Sten, focus!" Naruto yelled as he hurriedly ducked under a swing from the greatsword user, whose armor was slightly smaller than the other ones. He couldn't think of a reason for that being so, unless the greatsword user was a woman. The size of the body was slightly smaller, so either a smaller man than usual or a woman. Naruto's bet was on woman.

Grabbing a dagger of her own, the templar threw it at Sten with deadly accuracy after backing away from Naruto a few steps, trying to take advantage of the small impasse in Sten's fight. It was not to be, as Naruto easily saw her movements and reached out for the dagger, grabbing it by the handle. He grinned at her, silently cursing her for wearing a helmet. He couldn't see her –surely- face of shock at seeing him do that. "I hope I didn't surprise you too much, that's the smallest of my talents," he claimed with a chuckle. Internally though, he was certainly confused. _'That throw was fast, too fast for normal standards! The fuck is going on?!' _

However, he merely stared at his foe, who seemed to be the silent type. "You just came after a demon pissed me off to no end. Unfortunately for you-" Naruto dodged the slash intended to cut off his arm. The templar woman was certainly determined to not let him talk. "As I was saying… you're in bad luck… I only want to kill something right now and you're the closest thing I can get my hands on," he said, giving a disturbing smile at the templar. "So… come here so I can butcher you," Naruto told her with a disturbing grin that showed all his teeth.

They clashed again as a fireball exploded violently on their left.

xxOOOxx

Morrigan and Neria were currently in a pinch and not one they specially liked to begin with. Two other templars had teamed up against them, an archer and a dagger user. They were two viciously sharpened daggers, something they didn't like, either.

"You're going down, abominations!" the archer yelled at them.

"No, we're not possessed, dammit! I told you already, we're-"

"Silence! We will not listen to your poisoned words!" The templar shouted as he fired an arrow. Thankfully, Morrigan was ready and froze the arrow seeking Neria's body.

"You ignorant fool…" she uttered. "It is no use trying to reason with such rabid dogs, Neria. We must defeat them," Morrigan stated as she threw a contemptuous sneer at the templars.

"But it doesn't have to be like that! We're Grey Wardens! We're here to gather help to defeat the Blight! Greagoir let us pass!" Neria tried to reason with their enemies but the archer templar simply glared at her as he readied his bow again.

"It's all lies! We'll make you pay for the templars you've killed here!" he shouted furiously. His companion however, tilted her head as if pensive.

"Perhaps… they are telling the truth… We haven't found any abominations up to this point… They could have killed them and didn't Greagoir tell us about such a group?"

"He spoke of a group of ten individuals and there are only eight here! We haven't seen anyone else, either. It's obvious they must have been possessed at some point since they entered the Tower. They must be purged and removed! Do not fall for their twisted reasoning! We can't allow loose ends to remain unchecked, less they wreak havoc on the innocents outside!" The archer chastised his partner as he hurriedly dodged a fireeball sent by Morrigan. Snarling at her for trying to hit him in the middle of his rant, he fired several arrows in quick succession towards the Witch of the Wilds with the clear intention to kill.

Morrigan seemed to hold up just fine but without a small break, she wouldn't have the opportunity to counteract and she would be on the losing side if it even came to hand to hand combat. However, it became glaringly obvious what the templar had wanted all along when Morrigan was forced to separate from Neria in order to have more space to move and keep her life.

The oldest trick in the book, of course. Divide and conquer.

For her part, the dagger user lowered her helmeted head. "... If you still haven't been possessed, then forgive my actions. We can't take any chances. May the Maker guide your steps," she spoke softly to Neria in an apologetic tone before throwing a vial of some strange substance that produced thick black smoke when it crashed against the floor, effectively shrouding in darkness part of the room.

Startled, Neria felt a trickle of fear when the rogue templar used the smoke to great effect, vanishing into nothingness, and she cursed softly when she realized there was a big chance she'd die here –the whole group seemed highly skilled and they had effectively gotten each member of theirs separated from the others. Dying… she had never given much thought about the idea of losing her life but…

'_Dammit, girl, get a grip of yourself. You can't get emotional in the middle of battle…' _

The barest sound of metal cutting through the air was the only warning she got before she was stabbed in the back. Gasping in pain, Neria coughed as blood started to flow from the wound. She didn't delude herself, the knife had been meant for her spine. The only reason she was alive was because she had hastily moved out of the way as soon as she'd hear the noise. It had not been enough though, and Wynne surely had her hands full with her own enemies to be able to heal her.

Before she knew it, the templar had already vanished again and the smoke didn't seem in a hurry to disappear. Neria couldn't help but curse in her head not learning a wind-related spell that could allow her to disperse it.

Seconds later, the small sound appeared once again but this time she was waiting for it and managed to get away with only a glancing blow on her armor, even if the wound on her back made her want to scream loudly in pain. Neria sent a** Shock** at her opponent, thankful that she could at least see her so close, but gaped when the spell simply fizzled out with a small hiss upon contact, the Sword of Mercy motif engraved on the templar's breastplate glowing brightly.

The telltale sign of enchantments.

"Enchanted armors? Now, how's the hypocrite, huh?" Neria questioned the templar before she coughed blood. Neria groaned and her body doubled as s flare of pain racked through it. For a moment, the mage thought the templar would use her incapacitated state to finish her before she could recover but surprisingly, the templar was nowhere to be seen when she raised her gaze.

"I take no pleasure in my job. It is my duty, though, and I must be capable of enduring it, for the good of all," the templar's voice echoed around Neria. Outside of the smoke, the fights were still going strong and she could hear Morrigan verbally trouncing the archer templar if she tried hard enough.

Neria hurried to use a healing spell, closing the wound and stopping the blood flow, but she wasn't proficient at the Creation school. The healing was superficial and the wound would reopen with continued extraneous movements. Thankfully, the Arcane Warrior part of her proved to be great help as it helped her go through the pain and once again, she found herself extremely grateful they took the time to investigate at least a little the Brecilean ruins.

Suddenly, a dagger sailed the air aimed at her and not seeing where it came from, she wasn't quick enough to dodge. The dagger carved a bloody path along her cheek and she fell to the floor with a pained gasp, caught off guard. Neria tasted the coppery taste of her own blood but spat it out, disgusted. She had to bit back a scream when the wound on her side reopened with a flare of pain.

The sound of armor boots clinking on the floor was the only thing she could hear now, the other battles being drowned out by the adrenaline being released into her system. Uncaring of the blood flowing freely from her cheek, Neria glared at her foe as the templar crouched beside her and for a moment thought she saw her shudder for the briefest of moments as their eyes connected.

'_Just a bit closer…'_

"You fought well, even in such circumstances. I respect that. At least you will be reunited with the Maker, now," the templar told her with a slight softness in her voice that belied the tension in her body, coiled muscles ready to spring in case the mage tried anything.

T o her credit, Neria merely chuckled even in the face of certain death. "Tell that to someone who cares." Acting faster than the templar thought possible of someone with her injuries, Neria sent a powerful **Stone Fist **at blank point to the templar. Sadly, the attack didn't have any effect whatsoever as the magic-created fist fell apart as soon as it touched the breastplate, crumpling to dust around them. Neria had to curse softly at herself for forgetting the conveniently enchanted armors.

The templar had simply gone with the physical force behind the spell, leaning back a little but not harmed in the least. "Even in defeat, you remain defiant. It is impressive," she told the blonde Warden as she grabbed a dagger. "It is time."

Neria closed her eyes, feeling defeated. What could she do? The templar would quickly slit her throat or seize her if he tried something once again and she didn't have anything that could get her out such situation. What could she do? Try to reason with her? The templar had already stated that she would perform the duty she was tasked with, even if she disliked the circumstances.

Neria felt utterly powerless and she hated the feeling of helplessness that came with it. She opened her eyes, determined to not give her killer the satisfaction of a broken prey. Glaring at the templar, she watched as she raised the dagger. Some people say that at the edge of death, you see all your life pass in front of your eyes. That may be right to some but if it was, Neria didn't see it; she could only face death with proud defiance.

The dagger fell but suddenly, a shield appeared in front of her, keeping the dagger from sinking into Neria's tender flesh. A menacing figure growled as he kept his footing and bashed the templar on her helmet with the shield with vicious fury. Without giving the templar a reprise, the figure kept on his attack and slashed with his longsword, forcing the templar, who had no time to get into a proper defensive stance, to fend him off with her daggers crossed in a x pattern. However, the momentum her opponent carried with his attack was too great to weather it through and come away unscathed so she found herself forced to deflect it to a side to avoid a serious injury.

Seeing a she was too vulnerable out in the open, the templar cursed softly at the appearance of the blond warrior and vanished again into the black smoke. It was thick enough to deprive almost completely of one's sight –though she herself had been tirelessly trained in such conditions- but the smoke wouldn't last much longer, not even four minutes. She had to end this fast.

As the templar assassin pondered her next movement, the threatening figure knelt down next to Neria and she could finally make out Alistair's worried face in the middle of the darkness. "Neria, are you hurt? Can you heal yourself?"

"Ah, ah… I think I can," she muttered before getting to her feet with Alistair's help but she couldn't help the wince as she took a step.

"Neria?"

"Uh… I'm okay, Alistair. Just a flesh wound," she assured her friend; she hated how worried he became every time she got a bruise in their fights. Worrying didn't suit him and she never wanted that to happen to him. "Where's Leliana?" she asked, changing the subject as she searched through the smoke, trying to find the templar assassin with Alistair doing the same.

"She's helping out Wynne. She assured she had it under control but I'd like to wrap this up and go back her up. I don't think they'll be able to fend them off forever," he told her and the tension in his voice contrasted with the relaxed stance of his body.

"Listen, it's obvious she's going to target me. I'm injured and you're obviously going to protect me. She will see me as the weaker link," she hurriedly explained him even if she hated to talk that way about herself. "Let's use it to our advantage."

"Are you sure? I'm not really comfortable doing that to you," he uttered as he glanced around, looking for any sign of their enemy.

"Do you think I like this situation?" Neria hissed angrily. "No, I don't but… Watch out!"

The templar had just appeared in front of Alistair but as soon as he clumsily raised his shield to protect himself, caught by surprise, but the dagger quickly changed direction and embedded deep inside Neria's forearm, cutting through the resistant metal of her armor this time as if it wasn't there.

"Agh!"

"Neria!" Alistair dared not to look at her crumpled form and take his attention away from the enemy as he put his shield and his body between his fellow Warden and the templar assassin. She seemed content to take things slowly, though.

"You have been trained in the templar arts. I can see it," It was a flat statement, not a question, but Alistair saw fit to answer nonetheless.

"I was but I love more being a Warden than I ever would have loved being a templar."

The templar seemed to focus intently on him after he said those words and her next words were spoken with the slightest hint of surprise. "… You are _that_ Alistair…"

"… How do you know about me?"

The templar was silent for several seconds until she spoke, choosing carefully her words. "… Didn't you ever wonder why the Grand Cleric fought tooth and nail to keep you within her grasp?"

"What- what are you talking about?"

"… It doesn't matter now, I guess. You're a Warden now."

"So what if I am? Why are you trying to kill us?! Have we not shown we're not possessed already?!"

The templar actually lowered her head just a bit, shamed. "Possession is a misunderstood thing and rather murky concept. We don't really know nearly as much as we'd like to. I believe you're not possessed but my voice alone is not enough. We must avoid even the slightest mistake or possibility that could lead to a demonic outbreak spreading around Ferelden and Thedas. Your friend here is a mage, which only means she's potentially more dangerous than you. I'm sorry, I can do nothing." She explained softly before raising her daggers.

Though a bit unsettled by the templar's words, Alistair readied himself to protect Neria. She was a friend and a fellow Warden, he would protect her as long as she needed. Until she was able to get back into the fight, at least, because knowing her, she wouldn't let something like those wounds stop her.

His grip on his sword –Neria's thoughtful gift for him- tightened as the templar rushed at him. He was ready for whatever could happen but he certainly hadn't expected a body appearing flying out of nowhere and crashing into the unsuspecting templar's side, flinging them both out of the black smoke, which was already thinning considerably.

Alistair's whirled about as he heard the chuckle at his side, lashing out simply on instinct but his eyes widened when his brain recognized the whiskered visage of Naruto. He tried to stop himself but the swing carried too much momentum already and his arm would simply _not _stop!

Luckily, Naruto saw the move and hastily dodged the blow. "Damn, you cheese-freak, watch were you bring that sword of yours! You could have looped my head off!"

"But I didn't, did I? And cheese is the food of the Maker, don't you dare disrespect it," he automatically claimed, too relieved of not having killed Naruto to really care.

"Meh, I've had better… Moving on, how are things going here?"

Alistair tried but he really couldn't help himself. "Oh pretty well, considering the fact a bunch of sociopathic templars are trying to kill us all."

"Don't be so snarky, Alistair, you must see the bright see of the situation," Naruto replied with a grin as he helped Neria, who had already healed herself to the best of her abilities, to her feet.

"Which is?"

"Good question. I'm still trying to find the answer to that one. I got to relieve stress with that chick, though, so I can't complain."

"Obviously," Alistair rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. So we go there and face the music, then? Wrap this up? We've still got Uldred to take care of, after all."

"Now might we as good time as any other, I'd say," Neria dryly remarked at their banter. "I would prefer to get this over with. Preferably, before the day's end."

They stepped out of the smoke and Neria was able to finally see the results of the battle. The room sported several scorch marks, courtesy from Morrigan's liberal use of the **Fireball **spell, the few tables that had survived the demonic outbreak had been hacked into pieces during the ensuing fight and the slight smell of blood hung on the air.

The leader of the templars hadn't joined the fight, even though his eyes easily kept track of everyone present. His stance did not give anything at all about how he felt or what he could be possibly thinking, which spoke of his level of training.

Leliana was in front of a very much winded Wynne as she kept her bow trained on the templar in front of her. The other one was knelt, slightly wounded with one or two arrows sticking out of his body. Neria recognized him as one of the Smiters, which explained Wynne's state. It was a blessing in disguise that a **Smite **only affected a mage, which at least left Leliana unharmed to protect the Senior Enchanter. The redhead orlesian hadn't gotten away without some injures of her own, though. Two of her fingers looked bent in an unnatural way –broken, obviously- and she had a trail of blood coming from her head, which could turn out to be something serious if left unchecked.

She was surprised however, when Alistair swore under his breath as he muttered that she favored her right leg. She hadn't noticed that small detail.

Sten had arrived to a stalemate but they could see an unusual frown on his face. His enemy had to be really skilled and strong to cause such reaction from the usually stony giant but it was likely aided by the fact that the templar had magical protections. Sten had made his dislike for most things magical quite clear, after all.

Morrigan, for her part, was mostly unharmed but she had been unable to get back to the archer templar. Again, most likely due to their enchanted armors, Neria assumed with a frown. She was sure that their apostate companion would have used her shape-shifting ability the moment she realized her spells wouldn't have any effect. Who knows how had that gone.

The templar assassin had only been mildly stunned by Naruto's throw but she had regained her footing easy enough. However, she was crouched next to Naruto's chosen enemy, who was moaning in obvious pain. Several part of her armor looked completely trashed and her breastplate kept fizzling, which was likely due to the runes applied to it failing. Moreover, the armor itself looked like it had been put through the grinder, with several dents on it and looking like it would fall at any point. One of her arms was completely limp and she had lost the gauntlet of the other arm.

"That is enough." The voice of the templar leader suddenly rang out in the room and everyone turned to him, some in shock, others in confused silence.

"But… Commander!" The archer jumped in rage. "They must've killed our comrades. Honorable people that swore to upheld their vows of protecting the innocent! Some of them are mages and we haven't stumbled upon anyone else, it's obvious they are the ones responsible! They must be abominations! Blood mages! We must purge them!"

His leader merely shook his head. "Stand down, soldier, that's an order!" he barked at him before muttering, "It's obvious we still have to reign in that temper of yours." He glanced at the rest of his team. "The others, you feel the same as Saron?"

For a moment, Neria thought she saw the templar assassin look at her but it was gone after a second. It was hard to tell with those helmets of course. "I don't, Commander. My assessment from those I have fought against is that they aren't possessed in any way, unless the demons possessing them are cleverer than most we have come across."

"I agree."

"I don't like it but it really seems as if they've been doing our work for us. Have demons been known to kill their own kind before? I think Saron is looking too much into this," answered the templar with the arrows stuck in the armor. "Damn, these arrows sure packed a punch. Even with the enchantments I still felt them," he muttered to his companion, who snorted in amusement. For all their carefree attitude, though, Neria noticed neither of them let their guard down.

The one who had fought Sten chuckled mirthfully. "Not sure if the mages aren't possessed but this big guy is certainly no pushover. I believe he's free, he certainly didn't get affected by my **Smite**."

The templar hummed thoughtfully and silently pondered his options. As much as he disliked it, he had to admit he'd been rather hasty in his decision to kill everything on sight as soon as they had stumbled upon them. Saron's claims could be true but not everything added up to it with the explanation, mainly their reactions.

They had acted like true comrades in arms, protecting the others as much as they could while they fought. They showed loyalty and trust, traits that no demon had definitely ever showed in its behavior. A trick to make them slip up and catch them off guard, perhaps? It could be possible; demons were certainly cunning bastards and could do a lot of damage if left unchecked but… why would they work together like this? It made no sense and as much as he tried to, he couldn't see any deception in the way the blond shield user aided his lithe companion to stand, her arm draped on his shoulder. He had to admit he was curious about why there was a qunari among them. Perhaps the ox-man was a Tal-Vashoth?

Thank the Maker the helmet served to hide the surprise he felt when he recognized Alistair, though.

Greagoir had told him the same group that was in front of him had arrived and demanded the aid of the mages against the Blight. He had described each individual well enough to recognize them but he hadn't been paying as much attention to him as he should have. Caria's death even before they could reach the tower still bothered him, even with all his training to compartmentalize his emotions in such situations. Therefore, he had simply given up the group as a lost cause and assumed they would have fallen victims to the demons long before they reached them, thus his rather intransigent orders when they spotted them.

Obviously enough, he'd been completely wrong, something that rarely happened and it bothered him. Still, the final decision was his. He glanced at Serana, who was trying to ease up Rhona's pain as much as she could, her daggers forgotten at her sides.

"Who did this to her?" he asked in a level voice, trying to keep his rising temper to a minimum so as not to leash out.

"I did." Naruto answered as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I usually take offense of someone trying to kill me. It didn't help that a demon tried to mess with my head earlier. Suffice to say, she was a great stress-relief," he explained with a careless chuckle.

The templar leader stared at him from inside the helmet and even the former Jinchûriki had to admit it was rather unnerving. Then he spoke with a flat voice yet with a hint of steel beneath it. "The only reason you're not dead right now is that you're not possessed."

Naruto simply grinned at him, a defiant glint in his eyes. _Come get me if you dare. _"You would try. You'd fail."

The tension between the two spiked to dangerous levels and for a moment, the spectators of their stand-off thought that it would actually come to blows. Luckily, the templar backed off first, looking at Alistair and his elven friend, sensing they were the leaders of their group. "… Tell me everything we need to know."

xxOOOxx

Solana groaned as she woke up, finding herself leaning against a wall. Everything in her body ached but that was understandable, she thought, after going against two powerful **Smites.** It that was alright; she was –mostly- okay and alive, which could only be a good thing. She kept her eyes almost closed just in case and tried to peer through her eyelids.

She could make out the amused face of Naruto. "You can drop the act, Solana. I know you're awake."

"Why, hello there, handsome," she flirted with a slurred voice, which probably destroyed the flirting in the first place. Okay, her brain wasn't as good as it seemed at first glance. "I could get used to the idea of waking up seeing you. My head hurts, though. Will you kiss it away?" She innocently asked with a smile before she opened her eyes to see everyone else huddled together around them and staring at her, with a variety of different emotions on their faces. That helped her brain to snap back into place as she blushed fiercely at the highly embarrassing situation. "Ah… Would you believe me if I said Alistair let me hit my head hard against the wall?"

Ignoring Alistair's protests of otherwise, most of them deadpanned at her, making Solana chuckle in an awkward manner. "Ah, I guess not. Well, I regret nothing. So, moving on, I take it you guys have worked something out with the templars, considering they're not trying to kill us?

"Exactly. They have agreed to help us the best they can," Neria nodded though he seemed kind of angry for some reason. Solana wondered what could have upset her. "However, some of them are injured," she continued, glancing subtly at Naruto, "so we decided to leave them here to recover. Leliana has offered to stay with them and offer some protection. I'd like you to stay here as well."

"What?! No, I can fight!"

"You are exhausted and in no shape to face Uldred. It's better if you stay here to help Leliana."

"That's bullshit! Wynne is here, she can patch me up in a moment and everyone else. Besides, you don't know what's in the Harrowing chamber, you're going to need everyone capable to fight Uldred! I have as much right to kill Uldred as you do for what he has done! No, better yet, I have even more right than you; I was here when everything went to the damn Void!" Solana exclaimed in defiance, her face reddening in anger.

Neria narrowed her eyes as she felt her temper flaring. They didn't have time for this, Irving could need her! "Are you sure? With your injuries and exhaustion, can you truly say you won't be… a hindrance?" She immediately realized her words had been colder than she'd meant for them to be when she saw Solana recoil as if she'd been slapped but she stood by them. Couldn't Solana see she wasn't in the best condition to go into such a situation as the one with Uldred without being at your physical best?

"She has the right to go, Neria. We can always rest a bit and with Wynne's help, we can recover our stamina a little. Moreover, she can heal those injured as much as she can. They _might_ not be able to come with us but they won't need protection, either," Alistair spoke out in Solana's defense with Naruto nodding in agreement. The Force mage shot them a grateful look. "Face it, Neria, we _do_ need everyone who is in fighting shape to come with us. We are going blind into a very dangerous situation," Alistair tried to reason with her with an unusual serious and mature attitude.

"If we stay much longer here, there won't be anyone left to save. We still haven't found Irving and all our work will be for nothing if he can't convince Greagoir that the Tower has been purged!" Neria stubbornly replied. Why couldn't they see that each moment they wasted was another moment Uldred could do more harm?

In that moment, the templar leader stepped up to them. "Arguing here will only make it easier to that wretched abomination. We'll take a short rest and we'll move out in five. It's foolish to rush in when you're not ready but those in no condition to fight will be left here, since we have not run into any abominations. Be prepared, we'll leave behind everyone not ready," he stated before he looked at Neria. "You yourself were quite injured in the battle. I suggest you use this time to heal yourself," he told her before moving to Rhona, who was being efficiently treated by Wynne. Alistair moved to stand behind her, acting as a sort of bodyguard. He certainly didn't trust these mysterious templars to keep their weapons sheathed, even if the fight was over.

While the others checked their weapons and treated their injuries, Solana took the chance to approach Naruto. "Hey, Naruto…"

"Hm? Do you need something, Solana?" he asked as he turned to look at her. She looked especially nervous, which only served to pique his curiosity.

"Y-yeah… Listen, I've just noticed you're acting… I don't know, off. Since you annihilated that Sloth demon, you haven't been quite yourself and well, uh... Uhm, what I wanted to say is that- er, if you need a willing ear… well, that I'm here. Yeah, that," she lamely finished, stumbling over her words in her hesitation.

Naruto tilted his head, mildly curious of her unusual timid behavior. From what he'd seen of her, she was usually a pretty cheerful and bold person with a joking edge to it, so it came as a bit of a surprise to see her acting like that. He appreciated the sentiment, though; Solona was the only one who had dared to approach him about it.

"Thank you, Solana," he nodded at her, his lips curling into a small smile. Solana's cheeks turned a rosy color before she returned his smile, stepping a little closer to him.

"No sweat, it's always good to have someone to talk to," she breathed out in a low whisper, stepping even closer. "It's just that I wanted to…"

Before she could finish talking, Naruto suddenly pressed his eyes shut as he scrunched his face in pain. The throbbing sensation he'd been lately feeling in his head had returned with a vengeance and he could feel the maddening pulsation thump against his skull. Try as he might, he couldn't suppress a soft groan of discomfort. It was stronger this time but it thankfully subsided after a few moments.

"Naruto, is something wrong? Are you hurt or something? I could try to heal you…" Solana trailed off as she took his hand in hers and looked at him with those rather pretty brown eyes filled with concern.

"N-no, I'm okay, it's just…"

"Naruto?" Neria's voice broke them out from their reverie and they quickly broke apart. Solana looked flushed while he blinked a few times before going to see what Neria wanted. He really couldn't exactly explain why did he feel so bad about the whole thing…

xxOOOxx

"Keep focusing on it. I want to get to Irving after this one."

The two abominations nodded jerkily as the three refocused their efforts in trying to break the mage's will. The process itself was not overly hard to do so, thankfully. Although trained to resist the demons' call, mages hadn't been really trained to understand demons. To fight something you needed to understand it and such fact had, ironically, not been understood by the mages.

Having lived sheltered lives for most of their lives, the mages didn't really know about arduous hardships. Even though they were kept locked inside the Tower, they were provided with food, a roof above their heads, medical assistance and an education geared towards their gift –never mind those who would call it a curse, Uldred mentally scoffed.

Nonetheless, they had it better than most and yet, that fact would be the key to Uldred's final success, which was nearer at every passing second.

There had been several complications along the way, though. Several surviving templars had put the whole Tower under complete lockdown and Greagoir was leading them. No doubt, they were waiting for the order to go through with the Right of Annulment. Wynne had mysteriously disappeared ever since the first day of the demonic break out and his minions had not been able to locate her. Pity, she would've been an astounding abomination if a powerful enough demon possessed her.

Irving was perhaps the more preoccupying thorn on his side, however. He'd tried to break him before anyone else –a sound strategy; all the others would crumble immediately. But he'd been rebuked -violently so- and he'd given confidence and hope to his underlings. That had annoyed Uldred for a little –couldn't they see he was only trying to help them? Resisting would only prolong their pain after all, but the slight annoyance was gone after a moment. It mattered not, in the end, since Irving would break more easily if he saw all his charges giving in or dying in defiance.

Either way, Uldred won. That was the desired outcome, in any case.

Still... "Yield now. Your resistance is futile."

"Never, you ugly freak!" the mage spat at him before grunting in pain.

Uldred frowned with something akin to annoyance before applying more force in his lightning. The mage was certainly made of tougher stuff, he was under three lightning spells and still had the will to fight back with words. They had been going at it for hours but only now the first cracks in his resistance started appearing.

Excellent, just in time to attend the show, at least. Oh indeed, he was quite aware of the little group cutting their way through the Tower's bowels to reach him. After all, how could someone of his nature overlook such… raging bonfire, calling out to his senses? He'd never experienced something quite like this but whomever it was that was giving off such sensation clearly didn't know how to shield themselves to the higher presences. All the better, though. He could feel clearly this individual was a mage and that worked just deliciously to his plans.

He or she, he was sure, would be easily convinced to join him in exchange for more power. Mortals always wanted the same things. From _his_ memories, he knew that the more power one had, the more they wanted. The more money one possessed, the more they wanted. The pattern was there, after all. It was a vicious cycle and he wasn't about the let such an opportunity to pass by without taking advantage of it.

"Just say yes and you will be given the sweet release you desire."

"Bite me, you bald billiard ball!"

"My, how defiant. I wonder what will happen if we take things up a notch?" Uldred idly mused, not quite there in the verbal banter. He was too immersed in waiting for the group to reach them. Something was holding them up...

However, the enchanter certainly didn't have any intention on giving him an easy victory. "You mean like how the whore of your mother did me?!"

That did it. Uldred's eyebrow twitched and he looked down at him with a nasty smile. "Well, it seems that I need to personally oversee your disciplining," he chuckled rather sinisterly. "This is going to hurt. A lot."

He was right. The enchanter didn't know what this abomination did but every part of him now felt like it was boiling and it seemed as if he would melt at any moment. Minutes trickled by and the mage, the poor misguided fool, had finally started to crack, screaming out loud.

Putting even more strength behind the spells, the mage finally caved in, slumping to the ground as he whimpered in pain. He'd really tried his best to resist but even his best hadn't been good enough. "Do you accept the gift I offer?" Uldred asked magnanimously.

The mage nodded weakly and this time, Uldred and the other two abominations quickly called forth a demon from the Fade into the mage's body. It was a painful process, the mage's wailing and screaming could attest to that. Uldred couldn't help the fleeting smile that passed through his face as the doors of the Harrowing room banged open. Just in time then, the group had finally arrived. Too late, of course, the mage was already transforming and the newcomers watched in sickened amazement as his body twisted and expanded. The creamy skin peeled away to reveal bloody raw one while bulbous sacks of flesh grew upon his shoulders, ripping apart the now late enchanter's robes as the arms and legs lengthened and grew claws.

For his part, Uldred let out a 'tsk' under his breath. The demon in question was fairly weak too but it was a minor setback at best. He would continue with his plans but for now, he had some guests to entertain. Such a shame, though, the mage was certainly promising.

Glancing at the newcomers, he certainly had to give it to them; they had formed quite the group: Several templars that looked like they had gotten out of a terrible fight and a party of some interesting individuals. However, he was more interested in the one leading the latter group. With a shock that he didn't show, he traced the power he'd felt before to the young elven girl. Irvin's sole pupil, he realized with a startle. Now, wasn't this quite the development?

"Ah, look at what we have here… I hope you'll forgive me for not tidying up the room a little but I'm afraid I'm still not finished with what I have in my hands just yet," he cordially greeted them like a good host would do. "Please, do stay for a bit if you'd like."

One of the templars reacted quite agitated at Uldred's remark, his hands going to his weapon of choice –a bow. "Why, you little shit!" Uldred easily hid the smirk at that. It was so easy to play the mortals' emotions sometimes… However, he couldn't quite hide a frown when the man he assumed to be the fool's commander clamped a hand on his shoulder and kept his underling in check.

"Stand down, soldier. The demon's just baiting you into a trap."

Oh, well, he'd have to work harder for it, then…

"No one's going to attack him. Not until I get the answers I want from him," the girl –Neria Surana, Uldred's memories supplied helpfully- uttered and her voice sounded like a whip cracking the air like a violent whirlwind. Her voice sounded steely and dangerous yet she sported tear marks. Interesting…

"It's nice to see someone can be civil here. I remember you, Neria Surana. You were Irving's star pupil. Uldred never thought much of you; Irving's faithful pet project, were always Uldred's thoughts on you… But I quite disagree," he commented, eyes gleaming in barely hidden interest.

"Do not listen to its words! The demon will only play with your head if you allow it to talk. We must kill it now," the one that had stopped the foolish templar from rushing in spoke again as he drew out his weapon, a greatsword. Around him, the other templars followed his actions.

"No!" Surana's stern words were punctuated by a strong flare of her magic, which for a second almost appeared on the most simple of the visual spectrums.

Uldred for his part had to resist the temptation to actively curl his fingers in delight. Her essence was quite unlike every other mage currently present. However, he hoped she would be strong enough to resist the demons that surely were whispering to her, trying to convince her into giving in to baser instincts, to accept them. He didn't want to lose his new project before he could properly get a hold of the test subject, after all! Ah, she was talking again…

"I want to know why he did it, the reason he went mad and thought using blood magic would be a good idea. I want to know the reason because I've seen the results! Innocent children torn apart like meat! Most of the people I've known are dead because of him!" She grounded out. "And now, twisting those who survived into other abominations… Unforgivable."

Now Uldred had to scoff at the topic Surana had brought up. "Abomination? Please, spare me such Chantry nonsense. A mage is merely a larval form of something infinitely much greater! We are vilified again and again yet we stand upon the pinnacle of evolution!" Uldred defended passionately before turning to Neria. "You, Surana, would understand too if you were to accept my gift. Just think about it! Your raw potential as a mage is far greater than most of those who lived here, imagine the things you could accomplish if you let a demon lend the strength necessary to nurture such potential!"

"Yes, except the fact that I would lose my will in the process," she waspishly replied, not sounding the least amused.

"Well, that is merely one of the finer details…" Uldred waved it off, making Neria gain a mystified tic.

_'How can he have the sheer gall of saying something like that to my face?'_

"I'm quite impressed you're all still alive, though. Killing an abomination must have become a cheaper effort when I wasn't looking. That or my servants were plain stupid to begin with." He then sighed. "I fear it must be the second option."

Even then, his eyes never left Neria's form or the templars, who were ever so slightly shifting their stances, readying themselves for the battle that they knew would eventually break out, one way or another. For her part, Neria found it harder each passing second to restrain herself and she couldn't help the snarl that came out of her mouth. "Don't worry, you'll soon join them…"

"Wait, wait… Let's not be hasty now. We're trying to have a civilized conversation here, aren't we? Just because they are blinded by the teachings of a religion following an uncaring god, that doesn't mean you must deny yourself the pleasure of becoming something glorious."

"You are everything the Chantry stands against! It's no wonder templars defend their arguments over a mage's dangers when individuals like you give them an actual reason!" Leliana exclaimed, horrified and disgusted by Uldred's actions.

"You bastard! There's nothing glorious or civilized about what you've become Uldred! You've doomed all the other mages!" Solana shouted as well, enraged by his words.

Uldred couldn't suppress the dismissive chuckle at her words. "Uldred? He's _gone. _I am him and yet I am not. I am more than he ever was or would have been."

"Whatever, you are going _down_. I'll admit I'm going to take great pleasure in the sight of your throat with a dagger buried in it," Neria uttered with an unusual dark look that promised untold heights of pain.

"Now, why would you do such a thing? I have your precious teacher here and even he agrees with me –don't you, Irving?" He asked with a genial smile before stepping aside and revealing the tied up form of the First Enchanter, next to several other surviving mages. He certainly didn't look good. He had sunken eyes with dark bags underneath them and his robes were dirty, caked with dried blood and torn open in some places. He also sounded feverish when he spoke to deny Uldred's statement, possibly a side-effect of trying to fight off the constant attempts of possession.

Neria felt her heart ache at the sight of her teacher, the one who'd basically taught her everything she knew. None -not even Leorah, to whom she had sometimes confided in- had taken such an active role in her education as Irving had. She could recall with startling clarity that day when she was eleven, in which Irving had told her she would start learning directly from himself. She could vividly recall many times when they had stayed up well into the night just to finish for good a lesson and all the questions it brought to her.

Neria stared at her mentor for a long time before her head swiveled mechanically towards the possessed Uldred, who actually stepped back before he could stop himself. For a moment, there had been something lurking behind those incredibly icy eyes that had actually disturbed the demon inside. "I'm going to kill you. Slowly. Painfully. You better stay in the Fade for a long time after this because if you don't, I'm going to go into the Fade, I'm going to hunt you down and then I'm going to make you regret _touching_ Irving."

"Well… resist if you must, then! It will only make my victory all the sweeter!"

As if that had snapped whatever control, Neria narrowed her eyes in fury before throwing a knife at Uldred, who easily dodged it, and both parties took Neria's action as the opening salvo in their fight.

The templars, who had been slowly fanning out towards the sides in an attempt to surround the abominations, sprung into action mere seconds after Neria threw the knife and met head on the abominations, dividing themselves into smaller groups to better deal with them. However, there was a reason as to why Uldred had kept them with him and that was because they were easily the strongest he had created. Killing them would not be easy.

"You deal with Uldred! Well back you up when we finish this!" The templar leader shouted to Neria's group before dodging a swipe from one of the abominations.

"This whole struggle is pointless. Why bother fighting at all, when I could offer you all so much?" Uldred questioned as he carelessly fired several fireballs at them. "Don't you accept my gift?"

His words were lies of velvet, silky promises that could prove to be their undoing and even so, the smooth tone of his oddly dual-pitched voice slammed against their minds, trying to subdue them to his will. He wasn't a Pride demon for nothing, after all, and he clearly showed it as his words had the power to halt his would-be-killers dead in their tracks, trying to resist the insidious voice in their minds telling them to surrender and accept such gracious offer.

Unfortunately for Uldred though, Wynne was a one of the most respected Senior Enchanters and held in very high regard by both Irving and Greagoir. One of the reasons for such respect was her mental fortitude and therefore, it came as no surprise when she was able ignore the tiny, increasingly insistent voice at the back of her mind long enough to recite the incantations of the Litany of Adralla, lifting the spell of mind control Uldred –or rather, the demon which had possessed him- had casted upon them.

The abominations, however, had proved too eager in their mindless thirst for blood and had gleefully pounced on the handicapped templars, who could only defend themselves as best as they could in such circumstances. Their extensive training in dealing with abominations and blood mages, along with the heavily enchanted weapons and armors they used, were probably the only reasons they all had managed to survive through the unexpected handicap with only varying degrees of injuries.

With the fog in their mind chased off, the two groups could refocus properly onto the real fight as Uldred looked at Wynne with something akin to dull annoyance. "The Litany of Adralla? How dreadful, though I suppose it just makes it all the more interesting. Truthfully, it is sad that you need to use that sort of trinket, Wynne. The power of a demon far outclasses it," he commented, not really looking too bothered by the prospect of the Litany being in the fight before hastily dodging an arrow from Leliana by a hair's breadth. Fang did not give him any break as he jumped on him, fully intent on tearing his throat out but Uldred's usually frail body was not only magically empowered by the demonic possession. Fending him off, he managed to kick him away as the mabari yelped in pain.

Neria rushed to him with a worried shout while keeping a watchful eye on Uldred but he was too focused on batting away the attacks of Alistair and Sten while Morrigan and Leliana peppered him from afar with arrows and magic.

"Fang, how are you?" She worriedly asked while patting his powerful neck. He had come to mean much to Neria –even if he smelled sometimes- and she wasn't about to let anyone take her mabari away from her. With Fang having imprinted on her, Neria found she sometimes could almost understand Fang when she spoke to him. It was something Marcus told her that would only increase with time, to the point of almost understanding him as if he were really talking to her.

Neria was predisposed to believe him. He should know about it, he had been with Brina since he'd been but a little brat, after all.

The proud mabari gave her a low affectionate growl before lapping her face, showing her he was perfectly well. "Good boy, now let's show this bastard what happens when someone messes with us," she said as she stood up, with Fang giving a defiant bark of agreement.

For his part, Uldred was not faring really well. He had to give it to these mortals, they fought well. Sadly for them, their struggle would mean nothing in the end. "Taking control of this body empowered it but it's still not really suited for battle, though," he idly mused as he started gathering a huge amount of mana. "Besides, seven against one is hardly a fair arrangement, even if most of you are of no importance without magic. Despite that, perhaps we should even the odds a bit, hmm?" He asked before jumping back to put some distance between the group and himself. They tried to stop him, rushing with their weapons with the intent to kill him before he could get the chance to use whatever he had in store for them but they were too slow and the possessed mage successfully avoided Leliana and Morrigan's hasty attacks.

Uldred unleashed his built up magic into the ground, creating a small flash of light that blinded the party momentarily. After blinking furiously for several seconds to wave the black spots away, they finally saw what Uldred had brought onto the fight.

They were magical animated constructs, the likes a normal mage surely would be incapable of creating. They had used the granite and marble of the floor as a cohesive element to give them form but the magic animating the stone was perfectly visible through the gaps in the stone. It looked like a pulsating, writhing disturbing mass of purple energy, which also reflected in their glowing eyes.

"Gaze upon the wonders I can create! Are they not beautiful?"

There were four of them, as they awkwardly started to give several hesitant steps, gaining confidence with each of them. One of them was something resembling a dragon, not quite a small hatchling but more closer to the grown version, a drake that could easily kill a man if he wasn't careful enough. The rows of sharp teeth made of stone that they could sometimes see would be as deadly as if they were from a real dragon.

Another was quite clearly shaped like a golem, from what Neria recalled from their unwilling stay in the Fade. He would certainly be a foe to watch out for if it proved to have the same resistance to physical attacks as the originals it was based on.

The third figure looked like a bereskarn, Neria noticed, although this one looked a lot more muscular than the real ones.

Finally, the last one… well, she wasn't actually sure what exactly was the _thing_ in front of them. It had a humanoid form but it was clearly not any known species as it dwarfed Sten in size by quite a lot, which was a fact that impressed Neria by itself. The stone forming the body had adopted a slight blue hue to it but the most attention-drawing features of the construct were the huge leathery wings and a long row of wicked-looking spikes across its spine. The oddest trait was the rat-like tail sprouting from the coccyx region, idly waved from time to time.

"Let's see if you they can match you!"

"Leliana, Morrigan, you're both ranged fighters! Get the dragon-look alike!" Naruto shouted as he rushed towards the behemoth-sized creature. "I've got this one!"

"Divide their attention! Spread out!"

The group did so, each picking a construct to fight and the fight was resumed with earnest.

xxOOOxx

"Well my dear bard, seems like we must join forces against this... dragon. I have to admit though, 'tis a most curious application of magic. Perhaps if it could be recreated…" Morrigan mused as the stone drake barreled into Leliana.

"I'm a bit in need of a hand here, Morrigan. Perhaps you could think about it when we're not fighting for our lives?" The redhead bard pressed Morrigan with a sense of urgency in her voice as she hastily avoided the drake's attack as best as she could. It was a good thing the leather armor she wore allowed for a wide range of moves and dexterity, otherwise she would be only a sitting duck for the magical creation.

"Nothing good ever comes of rushing these kind of things, bard. After all, observation is the key to understanding," the Witch of the Wilds mockingly chided her comrade in battle, golden eyes watching with interest the behavior of the magic construct as it tried to chomp Leliana into little bits. Nonetheless, it was certainly amusing to see Leliana flailing about while trying to avoid the wickedly sharp rows of teeth. "So, do entertain the beast while I ponder on this problem."

"We don't have time for this, Morrigan!"

"Well, perhaps you don't… but I certainly do."

Quite clearly, the stone construct was animated by magic, that much was obvious. Therefore, it should be fairly easy to negate the magical forces animating the stone and be done with the stone dragon, Morrigan thought as she looked on Leliana trying to harm it with arrows while putting as much distance between them as she could.

Interesting, the drake seemed to have a fixation on the delusional woman. Perhaps it was because Leliana had defended the templars view in the previous standoff? Either way, it was an acceptable development for Morrigan. It would allow her to work out a way to deal with the drake construct without annoying distractions.

Perhaps she could use Mana Clash on it? It was created by magic after all, it was not much of a stretch that a spell like the one she was thinking of using would simply render it useless. Although the fact that it had been created by a demon might get in the way… Oh well, trial and error was a perfectly fine way of testing these things… especially if the test subject wasn't the one performing the experiment.

Nodding to herself, Morrigan fixated her gaze on the dragon and cast the spell, her own magic flaring up for a single moment in the process as a deep dark blue miasma seeped onto the dragon through the crevices of the stone. With any luck, it would disable the construct for good. It was not to be however, for Uldred's summon merely faltered for a few seconds, the purple writhing mass of energy briefly blinking out, before perking up again.

Well, so much for hoping. Now it seemed mad and kept attacking Leliana with more determination, if such a notion was possible. It would be amusing if not for the fact that Neria didn't really wish for her to die. Or anyone under her watch, for that matter. Then again, the former lay sister was not nearly as important as to hold such protective thoughts about her.

And besides- Wait… wasn't the room a bit hotter, though?

"Morrigan, look out!" Speaking of their grand leader…

Blinking, Morrigan took in the large fireball coming her way at great speeds and she uncharacteristically swore as she threw herself to a side, narrowly dodging the attack. The fireball crashed against the wall and exploded in a furious shower of fire, destroying a large part of the wall and letting the rays of sunlight enter into the chamber.

'_Quite impressive to destroy such amount of stone wall with only a fireball… and it seems we've been in the Tower all night...'_ "My, are you targeting me now, Neria? Should I be worried?"

"I'm sorry! It's this thing that just keeps avoiding my attacks! And my new staff is on the powerful side of the scale!" Neria's voice was certainly filled with frustration, Morrigan noted. Perhaps that special ability of hers would show up again? If so, she had to wrap this up and go to where the fighting would be most interesting… Talking about staves, she had to get herself a new staff, too. The one Neria had been using since Soldier's Peak would be a good choice. It was better than the one she'd been using, in any case.

Morrigan turned her gaze towards their foe, looking as Leliana swiped at it a few times with her daggers before retreating. The stone dragon seemed content to stalk them, as if knowing that they couldn't run away from it. Glancing briefly to the templars, Morrigan was pleased to see that they were somehow managing to contain their battle into the sidelines. "This isn't working. We need to come up with a different plan. A better one than letting it target me all the time," an annoyed Leliana huffed as she sent a rather cross look at her mage companion.

"Tis a most obvious statement," Morrigan countered smoothly. "Perhaps if you hadn't tried to 'kill' it with useless attacks…"

"Oh? Well, why don't you try to do it yourself then?"

Morrigan smirked, the beginnings of a plan already forming in her mind. "With pleasure."

xxOOOxx

"This is getting really annoying!" Alistair cried out as the bereskarn avoided yet another attack. They had tried to go guns blazing ever since the beginning but this special creation of Uldred seems especially slippery to attack and always slipped away before they could deliver a meaningful blow.

"Less whining, more stabbing Alistair!"

"Ha, we'd need Princess Stabbity for that, Neria," the blond shield user joked as he tried to cleave the snot of the beast off. Key word being tried.

"Sadly, our skills will need to suffice in this fight! Fang, stay away, boy! Your attacks will do nothing to the stone!" Neria warned but Fang wasn't about to up and leave his mistress like that in front of an enemy.

"You hear that, you magic-stonish thingy? You will be crushed with the power of the most terrifying thing on Thedas: A pissed off female mage!"

"Watch it, Alistair, less I slip up and end up freezing the wrong target," Neria playfully threatened while sending three arcane bolts towards the bereskarn. The bolts hit home but they didn't affect Uldred's construct at all, which shrugged it off with a faint air of indifference.

It even went through the motions of yawning quit clearly just to spite them.

"Why you damned…" Neria gasped, slightly outraged. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Alistair?"

"If you're seeing a huge muscular bear-like monster made out of stone bent on killing us, then sure, I'm seeing the same thing. If not, then I'm afraid I don't," the blond warrior deadpanned.

"Very funny, Alistair! This thing's mocking us! I'm going to show it just why you just don't mock Neria Surana!" exclaimed a fuming Neria as she marched towards the bereskarn.

"Oh boy, there we go…" Alistair muttered as he looked on, almost afraid of watching the fight himself. He gripped his sword tighter. "I never thought I'd say this but I actually feel sorry for that thing…"

Neria leveled her staff with a growl and sent a massive fireball towards the homunculi. It was way bigger than anything she'd ever created and Alistair could feel the noticeable spike in temperature within the room as soon as she sent the huge ball of fire. The fireball soared through the air towards the bereskarn but Alistair had to gape when it just jumped out of the way and allowed the spell to fly harmlessly towards the spot where Morrigan and Leliana were fighting the dragon construct directly headed towards Morrigan, who had her back turned to them. Fortunately, a shout from Neria warned her fellow mage and she was able to avoid the attack.

"Bloody thing! Stop avoiding my attacks!" Neria scowled as she stomped once on the floor.

Neria seemed to be nearing once again a snapping line, Alistair realized. Mages were supposedly pretty good at controlling their emotions but they _had _to be like that, after all. Otherwise, they would succumb to the demons by the hundreds. However, Neria had been unusually unstable emotionally several times already as they battled their way to the Harrowing room. It was somewhat understandable, though, because Alistair was pretty sure he'd be near his snapping point if the roles were to be reversed.

'_Hell,'_ a sudden guilty thought struck him, _'I've been a really ass mourning Duncan and all the other Wardens without even bothering to ask her how she feels about the whole thing, even when she took the time to lend a helpful ear… I really do need to pull my head out of my ass.'_

However, Neria had to calm down or she would be easy picking for the demons in the Fade, that he knew. Rushing to her, he managed to drag her a bit away from the bereskarn, which scratched the floor with one of its paws while staring at them with two soulless black rocks. It certainly felt as if it was mocking them. "Neria, you've got to calm down. You can't fall to the demons now!"

"No, Alistair, let me destroy that thing! I'm going to rip it apart, I'll crush it! I'll…"

"Damnit, Neria, snap out of it!" Alistair cried out before he lightly slapped his friend. Not expecting it, she cried out in pain as her head snapped to a side. Fang immediately jumped at Alistair, putting himself between them as he snarled at the two-legs that dared harm his Master.

"That bloody hurt, idiot!" she complained as she grabbed her quickly reddening cheek. "Don't kill him, Fang, he's just an insensible guy."

"Well, it's not my fault you were losing yourself to the Dark Side!" Alistair argued back with a frustrated look. "I don't care if they have cookies or Orlesian cheese that doesn't taste of despair, we need you, Neria! _Even_ if they have cheese," he amended after a second-long consideration.

Neria could only gape at him. "Remind me again, why hasn't Ferelden exploded yet?"

"Hey!"

"Never mind, let's get this over with," the elven mage waved off his protests with a small shake of her head.

"Well, I don't really like this, how come it hasn't attacked us yet?" Alistair muttered.

"Bereskarn are blighted bears but they are usually slothful unless provoked. Perhaps we haven't provoked it enough?" Neria questioned.

"Weeell, in that case, I sure as hell am not complaining about it," the former templar-to-be answered while wearily eyeing their enemy. "How are Solana and Sten holding up?"

Neria looked at them and deadpanned. "If the situation wasn't so serious, I'd be rolling over the floor trying to keep my laughter in check. It looks like they're arguing over the best method to deal with the golem… Wait, scratch that. It's more like Solana is arguing everything Sten does while he just tries to kill it while trying to ignore her."

"Damn. Oh well, we should go about killing our own guy too, then. Are you sane enough now?" Alistair asked before making a placating gesture with his hands when Neria and Fang glowered at him. "Just asking! Don't turn me into a frog, please. My lovely skin wouldn't live through it."

Just as they were going to attack again, which hopefully would end with the bereskarn's demise, Alistair had to jump out of the way with a startled shout before a spiraling dagger hit him in the face. However, before he could get a word in edgewise, a huge shadow covered the bereskarn and the three of them actually stopped for a moment.

The behemoth-like creature Naruto had charged head on staggered visibly above the bereskarn even when it obviously tried to right itself. It was pretty terrifying to see that the weird creature had had the right arm cut off at the elbow joint, the entire back section was sporting a massive web of cracks, with the unnatural glow from the purple slipping through the crevices. The face of the creature was a hideous mass of carved in lines into the stone, forming a spiraling pattern, making the hieratic face that previously adorned it's visage all but unrecognizable.

The wings were slowly losing their composure and falling to the ground as they showed several clean holes in them.

"Neria?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I just crapped my pants. Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Of course…"

Suddenly, the huge humanoid-like creature jerked for a second before it started falling backwards, right on top of the bereskarn. It tried to scramble out of the way, desperate to save itself, but it proved to be too little, too late as the hulking giant fell on top of the bereskarn with the sound of crushed stone proving to Neria and Alistair the bereskarn had been crushed to smithereens, raising quite the amount of dust.

"Man, this thing sure could take a beating!" Naruto coughed as he stumbled out of the cloud of dust.

Alistair rushed to help him but Neria stood fixated on the spot, wide eyed at the amount of damage he'd managed to do by himself to the behemoth. Once again, Naruto proved just why he was such an addition to the group and yet Neria still couldn't shake off the feeling that, should Naruto decide to turn on them for whatever reason, they would be in for a fight she wasn't sure they would be able to win.

Shaking her head, she approached the two warriors with Fang loyally following her. "Naruto, how do you feel?"

"Pretty banged up. Whatever this thing was, it packed a mean punch. It gave as well as it got, I'm afraid: I have a broken leg," he said as he walked to a safer place of the room with a limp. Thankfully, Wynne arrived to heal him and check the others for injuries.

Inspecting the battlefield, Neria could see the templars had finished off all the abominations and had separated into two groups to aid Neria's companions against the dragon and the golem constructs. It wouldn't be long until they were disposed of but looking to a side of the room, Neria saw they had lost one of their members to the abominations while another had been crippled.

The dead templar was laid on the floor and with a blanket covering him, unmoving amidst the ever so slowly growing puddle of blood and, although she felt horrible for thinking such a thing, she just hoped no demon would possess the corpse. They had enough on their plate as it was. Wynne told them she had done everything she could but his injuries had been completely fatal to the point her admittedly impressive healing abilities couldn't save him. Neria, knowing of her abilities as a Healer Spirit, understood that Wynne had been actually downplaying the gruesome injuries the templar must have suffered to die even under Wynne's watch. At least, from what she'd understood, he had sacrificed himself to give the others a clear shot at the abomination.

The other templar had lost an arm but the wound seemed to be cauterized. He still moved but he had a pale face and his movements were overly slow.

"I don't see Uldred anywhere… Where is he?" Naruto muttered suspiciously as he eyed the room without lowering his guard.

"Shit, you're right! Uldred's gone!" Alistair exclaimed but Neria shook her head.

"No, he's not. The demon has too much invested here and abominations made out of normal folk would be next to useless to him without magic. I'm sure it's observing us, waiting just for the best chance to get us all," Neria reasoned as she examined the room, trying to find something out of place.

"Riiight, because that's not creepy at all."

However, Neria didn't hear Alistair's remark as she quickly made her way to Irving's side. Using the small knife she used for herboloy purposes, she cut the ropes binding Irving as Alistair and Naruto quickly did the same to the other surviving mages with swift movements. Neria felt a small tinge of surprise when she took in their numbers. There were few of them.

Neria had expected even less than that.

Her attention was quickly brought back to Irving when he grunted as he stood up. "Neria, your presence here is unexpected… yet most welcome in this situation." He then raised an eyebrow when he noticed a detail on his prized pupil he didn't remember seeing before. "Tattoos, child? I didn't peg you for the type."

"I know! I mean, there's a completely logical explanation to the tattoos! It's just… I'm so glad you're alive, Irving. Greagoir said…" Neria muttered, voice thick with emotion. "I never… I would never…" she tried to find the right words but Irving raised a hand with a small, fond smile.

"I know, child, I know… No words are needed."

Neria smiled back at the old human… the person who had done so much for her and opened her mouth so say something but in that moment, Irving's eyes suddenly opened wide. Everything happened in few seconds. He didn't say anything; moving with agility she didn't believe he still had but he shoved her aside in a desperate act and not a moment later, a… disturbing-looking reddish claw embedded itself deep into Irving's shoulder, immediately drawing blood as Neria fell to the floor. Irving grunted when he fell to a knee, coughing blood before grasping weakly the appendage.

"As expected, you would take the blow for your precious pupil, Irving. How chivalrous of you, old friend, yet unnecessary. Once she realizes her own power and potential, she will gladly unlock it with our help. After all, we archmages must stick together, yes?" the demon wearing Uldred's skin stated with a patronizing smirk before a frown marred his face. "My, it seems all my creations were defeated. Pity."

However, before the First Enchanter could reply to that, Naruto swiftly sliced off the demonic appendage, making Uldred growl in pain and everyone could distinctly hear the double-tone in Uldred's voice in that moment.

Rising to his feet, Irving extracted the appendage with a fleeting face of pain as Wynne showered him with healing and mana restoration spells. "You and I are not friends, demon. Whatever friendship I had had with Uldred ended when he foolishly dabbled in blood magic just to appease his desire for power and freedom without expecting consequences! I should have realized his knack for rooting out blood mages was merely because he was one himself... but it doesn't matter anymore. Moreover, you clearly underestimate Neria's own resilience. She's my greatest pupil and she won't fail for your lies!"

Raising a sleek eyebrow, Uldred… or perhaps it was better to say the demon snorted in decidedly human indifference. "They all say that at first, later… not so much. After all… there is only pride before the fall," the demon proclaimed as he opened his arms in a grandiose manner.

"You will be the one to fall!" Irving shouted as he shot an extremely powerful fist made of stone that punched Uldred squarely in the face and sent him crashing into a wall. Unfortunately, Irving had gone through a lot during the last week and his shoulders sagged as his powerful spell drained away his last reserves and the extreme weariness settled in once more. Wynne's spells couldn't really help, only a good day of rest and eating plentifully would.

"Irving, are you okay?!" Neria immediately started fussing all over him with a concerned look as the others kept their attention on the abomination that was slowly picking himself up.

"These old bones are not ready to give up on me just yet," Irving chuckled before his face adopted a grim look. "Child… This is not over, be careful."

Looking back at Uldred's body, Neria nodded with determination. "You're right. It's not over… but it's time to end this."

A soft growl escaped Uldred's throat as his body started shining, a telltale sign that the demon had finally stopped pulling its punches and was preparing to shift into a body closer to its own. **"You will KNEEL before Zod, mortal!" **

xxOOOxx

"Idiotic fools, why do you keep trying to smite the dragon? 'Tis obviously a useless effort when the sixth first attempts failed spectacularly!" Morrigan snarked sarcastically.

"And what do you suggest then, apostate? Our weapons are next to useless with that kind of stone," replied tartly one of the templars all the while applying a healing poultice to a wound on his arm.

"And that is because you limit yourself to swords and shields like mere simpletons." She stated as she threw a bolt of lightning at the drake, which simply avoided it with an aerial loop.

Yes, the dragon could fly, even with stone wings that should weigh him down more than anything else. The Harrowing chamber was much bigger than one would expect – though it was an understandable feature, since they had to account for those mages too weak willed to fend off the demons' advances and ended up possessed- and it gave the dragon enough space to fly comfortably. Oh and it could also blast the essence animating it from its mouth as if it was fire from an actual dragon. Quite the annoyance, indeed, but she kept herself away as much as possible from its path.

"Our smites are the closest thing we have to a weapon that can hurt it. It seems to lose cohesion of its body for a moment but it's not enough to give us a chance to pick it apart when that happens," the templar assassin replied while keeping an eye on the dragon. "We need to finish this as soon as possible."

Morrigan pursed her lips, looking across the room and assessing their possibilities. "Well then, I might have a plan," she told them before the templar named Saron spoke up, "It's coming for another round!"

Flapping almost lazily its wings, the dragon opened its maws. It was a tad unnerving to see a fierce creature like a dragon act so violent without uttering a single sound. Were it not for the slight swoosh of the air moved by the wings, it would be completely silent. However there was no time for such musings as the dragon unleashed a torrent of purple fire upon them. Luckily, they all avoided it but with its greater maneuverability, it wouldn't be long until…

"Down, beast!" Solana's shout interrupted Morrigan's musings as the Circle mage used her Force magic to slam the dragon to the ground, creating a crater. "Sten advised I help with the dragon since it's an aerial enemy. He assured, well more like stated, that he needn't me to deal with the golem," she explained at their inquisitive looks even though Morrigan quirked an eyebrow at that.

"And you obeyed him, just like that?"

"Have you seen him? He has this scary face that he directs at you when you annoy him. He gives me the creeps," she muttered as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

'_You naïve fool…' _the young apostate thought with a roll of her eyes before speaking up. "Listen, I have a plan."

"What is it?"

"The demon will not stay out of this confrontation much longer. We need to take out the dragon right now but its flight is our greatest enemy. I will immobilize it with an ice spell and then it will be your turn. You will have to use your abilities to push it through that hole Neria created with her fireball."

Solana eyed the stone dragon with a critical eye as it smashed into one of the templars. "Considering the materials used to create it, it should not weigh more than one ton. I shouldn't have a problem doing it."

"I did not ask whether you could do it or not. I was telling you what you are going to do," Morrigan bluntly stated.

"Geez, loosen up, girl. Being so prickly isn't good for your health, you know," Solana shook her head before downing a lyrium potion. "Alright, ready to go."

"Watch out, it's getting up!"

The dragon spat another round of flames before trying to take flight once more. Unfortunately for Uldred's construct, Morrigan was ready for that and as soon as it arose from the ground just enough, she hit its wings with a powerful ice spell that froze them completely. Going through the motions of roaring, the dragon tried to flap its wings but it was impossible with the ice immobilizing them.

Without a means to fly, it rapidly fell to the ground.

"Amell, now!"

"On it!" Solana replied before she brought her arm backwards. Face crunched in deep concentration, the Force mage cried out as she whipped her arm forward, sending all the pent up magic out in one attack. It was a massive force field of compressed air sent to the stone dragon capable of completely overwhelming it and yet the dragon still tried to fight against the unmovable force that was Solana's attack. Needless to say, it failed.

Jest as the spell sent the dragon flying out of the hole in the wall, Morrigan enacted the second phase of her hastily put-together plan. Letting her staff clatter to the ground, she rushed after the dragon, ignoring the other's shouts of surprise. Her plan was perhaps a little foolhardy but she had calculated her moves very well. After all, she wouldn't be Flemeth's daughter otherwise, as irksome as the woman was.

Having timed it perfectly, she jumped just mere seconds after the dragon flew out of the hole and landed precariously on the dragon's back. Thankfully, she hadn't needed her shape shifting abilities to reach it. The dragon tried to throw her off of course, but she made sure to keep herself atop the beast before casting another ice spell, freezing completely its body this time. Putting even more magical power behind the spell, it also started to affect the core within, making the dragon start to shake erratically. With this, she allowed herself a satisfied smirk before her windswept hair whipped her face. Putting such minor annoyance aside, the freezing effect would let her cast her spells unimpeded. Looking at her surroundings, she could see they were falling and quickly gaining speed. If she didn't do something soon enough she would end up like a splatter on the hard floor.

"Let's put an end to this," she uttered with a small laugh before casting another powerful Mana Clash which, thanks to her previous spells, disrupted completely whatever means the demon using Uldred's body was employing to control the dragon. Being frozen, this time the energy core wasn't able to counteract the spell and with the dragon's energy core finally inactive, the stone construct had no means of powering itself up. With loud cracks, the different blocks of stone that had until that moment formed the dragon's body lost their cohesion with each other.

Its perversion of life snuffed out, the dragon became just loose rocks that quickly plummeted to the lake below and smirking in triumph, Morrigan jumped away from the dragon before she completely lost a foothold, shape shifting in mid-air. The concentration and finesse needed for such a feat was _almost_ obscene and she would never have bothered with it hadn't it been for her dear mother forcing her to do it, the old timer.

She shifted into a hawk, one of her favorite forms -powerful and able to fly-. Flying in small circles above the lake, she watched with pleased satisfaction the huge ripples the rocks created after touching the water. She was sure Uldred would not bother to rise it up from the depths of the lake so one less enemy to worry. Now only the mastermind itself remained.

xxOOOxx

"**Feel your power leaving you…" **

The demon's deep, rumbling voice in its true form rang out between them as its draining mana targeted the mages from their party. Those attacked faltered noticeably but before the demon could take advantage of the advantage, the templars who were still combat-able stepped forward and disrupted the attack with their abilities.

"**Mortals… your entire struggle is futile, you cannot hope to…"**

"Shut up, you freak!" Solana cut it off with a bolt of lightning to the hideous face, which reared back in mild shock but the demon didn't appear to be really injured.

"Do not give the demon breathing room! Pres it, press it!" The templar leader shouted to the others. Just then, Alistair was struck with the thought that they had never bothered to learn his name or the other templar's and he had to be pulled out of harm's way by an annoyed qunari for his slip up.

"Keep your wits, _basra_, less you wish to find your _kata_ in this Tower."

Right, if only he could ask now what exactly_ kata_ meant…

"**Do you accept the gift I offer?" **The demon spoke up next and one of the mages who had been kept prisoner suddenly started screaming in pain as he gripped his head. Sobbing, he fell to his knees while the other mages who had been freed tried to help him, only for the mage to howl "My head! It's in my head! I can feel it slithering inside!" as he started crying tears of blood from his eyes.

"Shit, the Litany!" One of the templars but Wynne was already on it, lifting successfully the blood magic, but she only narrowly avoided death at last second before the demon crushed her.

"**You will die first…" **it muttered with barely concealed annoyance before casting a spell on her. Seeing Wynne as too important for her healing abilities, the nearest templar to her, who had been guarding her, threw her to a side and took the attack for her. Grunting, he fell to a knee as the crushing prison slowly squelched him to death. The enchantments on his armor were quickly being overloaded as the first signs of it caving in itself started appearing. The others tried to break the spell but the demon punched the floor with several powerful blows that rattled the entire Tower, stunning the fighters.

"**One bother less…" **the demon said in its ominous voice before sending the templar flying out of the Tower through the hole, sweeping away a hawk that had just appeared in the entrance, who screeched in surprise.

"Dorian!" Saron shouted in anguish before he turned the demon. "You fucking bastard, he was my friend!" he screamed bloody murder as he blindly rushed at it with a pair of daggers, ignoring the shouts of his comrades to stay put. It proved to be his downfall. Leliana's arrows couldn't do much to stall it and only powerful magic would be enough to stagger it with only a single blow. Saron tried to jump at its chest, planning to stab it repeatedly but he was simply picked up in the middle of his jump and ruthlessly crushed within the demon's grasp before being thrown aside like discarded junk. The templar, after a few agonizing seconds, tried to crawl towards the demon, a burning desire for revenge the only thing that kept him going but with his body thoroughly broken, he could only choke a pained "Dorian..." before falling motionless.

"Keep your composure! Rushing in will only result in your death! The demon must not leave the Tower alive!" The leader shouted to the others as Neria sent two a **Stone Fist** and a bolt of lightning following Solana's two arcane bolts.

"**Desist in your meaningless attempts. I stand upon you on a whole different level of transcendence; you have no chance to defeat me."**

"Like hell we'll give up!" Naruto declared before landing on the demon's back, dagger in hand and ready to plunge it in its spine. Or rather, would have landed if the demon hadn't moved with a sudden burst of speed and slammed him against the floor.

'_Okay, I certainly did not expect the bastard to speed up there…' _He thought as he coughed blood. The demon took the opportunity to kick him away seconds before the templars drew its attention again, Sten and Alistair trying to get behind it. _'Kami, that actually hurt like a bitch,'_ Narutop thought as he rolled over. His ribcage felt like it was on fire, probably had some ribs cracked.

"Maker, Naruto, you okay?! Don't be so reckless!" Solana shouted as she rushed to his side, sending a wave of healing magic to wash over him.

"Ouch… I'm okay now, thanks!" He reassured her as he jumped to his feet. Touching carefully his torso, he nodded to himself with relief when he only felt a minor discomfort. "Solana, your powers, could we use them to hold the demon in one place?" He asked her, using the small reprieve they had from the battle.

The Circle mage looked unsure of the idea as they watched the demon wreak havoc on the others. It was clear they weren't faring well. "I… I don't know. It's a powerful demon. There's a high chance that it will break out of my spell," she said before cringing when Alistair got slapped away. Thankfully, Wynne was there to help him but it served to attract the demon's attention back to her. Naruto saw it too, which is why he pinned Solana with his intense gaze, making her slightly shiver.

"Having fought with you, I think you don't accept just how strong you really are or could be. I believe in you, Solana. Believe in your abilities; they may just be what we need to come out on top of this battle."

The brunette mage could only gulp in anxiety as she nervously wringed the hem of one of her coat's sleeves. She understood what he was telling her: her powers were perhaps the only thing that could remotely keep the demon in place. He was putting their lives on her hands. Maker, she couldn't surely be ready for this… No, this wasn't a time for doubts! She resolutely shoved aside the insidious voices of other demons, whispering that only they could give her the power, the will needed.

Inhaling deeply, she nodded as she slung her staff on her back. "Understood." She downed a lyrium potion to replenish her reserves, she would certainly need all the magic she could get for the task at hand.

"Good. Give us a heads up as soon as you do it," Naruto told her before jumping back into the fray. Solana had to actively suppress the amazement she felt at the ridiculously high pain tolerance he had. Any other man would be simply hanging on the fine thread between life and death.

But it was not time for idle musings. First things first, she had to get closer or her powers would lessen and she wouldn't be able to hold the demon in place. _'Okay… Let's do this.' _With a frown of deep concentration, she raised her arms as her magic came to her. Slowly, she started putting pressure on the demon, trying to make it build up gradually so it would take it longer to become aware of the spell.

She'd told Naruto it was no problem but only now she realized how difficult it would. It was ridiculously hard to hold the Pride demon in place, it was almost as if it didn't feel at all the force field around it trying to slow it down. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she slightly spread her legs apart to gain more footing and cried out in exertion, slamming down as much force as her exhaustion would allow, creating a small crater around the abomination.

The demon definitely noticed it this time. Obviously, as it was immediately halted in its tracks. Turning its head with much difficulty, the demon growled as it pierced her with its unnerving gaze. **"You dare use such power on **_**me**_**? I will make you kneel before my might, mortal!" **it roared, enraged.

"Quick, get in close now that he's down for the count!" yelled someone Solana couldn't discern; she was too busy trying to hold the demon in place. It was all about attrition now until one of them yielded first.

One of the remaining templars was about to send a Smite towards it but his leader held him off, yelling about the mages present. It would only incapacitate them and they wouldn't be able to deal with the demon while trying to protect all the mages. After that, they decided to stick to their own weapons while the mages present that still could attack battered the demon with powerful magic. The abomination shielded itself as best as it could with its massive spiked arms but it seemed that the barrage of attacks was doing its work and the demon was slowly being overwhelmed.

Solana grinned, they could do this. Just a little more and the demon would be… A sudden pop in her nose snapped her out of those thoughts and confusedly, she felt something running down from her nose to her mouth and further on, falling to the floor. Startled, she tasted the coopery taste of her own blood and her eyes widened when realization struck that she had_ actually_ bitten more than she could chew as her magic started faltering, too weakened for the task at hand.

The demon had fooled them all. "Get back! Everybody get back, the demon's faking it! It's…" she tried to warn them all the while holding it in place. She tried to push more power into the spell but she could now feel the strong resistance from the demon. With a panicked shout, she realized she was just too tired to come out on top of their struggle.

Seeing its ruse discovered, the demon roared as it sent a rippling purple wave that knocked everybody backwards. **"Kneel before Zod, mortals!" **It certainly lived up to its classification as a Pride demon but Solana had bigger problems when its attention was brought to her. **"That was impressive, I felt… worried for a moment there. A shame such potential is going to go to waste," **it rumbled with faux apology in its voice, whose tone all but assured Solana's desire to be as away from it as possible.

She tried to flee but her legs felt like lead and she stumbled, exhausted and still bleeding from her nose. ** "There's nowhere to run to, little mage," **it said and she could see it rearing its arm back to squash her like a bug. Some said life passed over your eyes when you were about to die but Solana didn't see any of that. She only felt fear, knowing her life was about to end while she was powerless to do anything about it.

Someone shouted her name. Was that Naruto? Too late, the arm was already going down. It was all ove…

Everything happened incredibly fast and to her senses it was over before she could really process what had happened. A blur appeared next to her and she could feel being haphazardly thrown aside, out of harm's way, but it was too late for whoever had saved her. With a powerful smack, Zod violently smashed her savior against the wall. Solana couldn't suppress the horrified gasp when she saw it was Naruto who had pushed her away from the demon's attack.

Something snapped inside her and she rushed towards him, completely ignoring the efforts of the others trying to take away the demon's attention from them. Reaching his side, she immediately started healing him but he merely chuckled weakly. "Don't bother… Ribcage's all shattered, lower spine... snapped in two. Got a… split open skull, too," he said. It was true; she could see his hair matted with blood. "I'm already… as good as dead."

"Don't talk, Naruto! Don't you dare die on me, bastard! Not like her, please, not like her!" Her words fell on deaf ears as he let out half aggravated, half tired sigh before he succumbed to his wounds, falling unconscious. "No! No, damnit! Stay with me! Naruto! Naruto!" she screamed as she pumped all the healing magic she could into his body.

It was all useless.

xxOOOxx

"Ough, that bastard really hits hard," Naruto said as he opened his eyes. He dragged himself to his feet; he knew exactly where he was. "My mindscape, soulscape, inner world… whatever, why am I here? I should be dead and Kurama_ is_ long gone," he grumbled moodily. It had been a long time since his last visit to the world inside the seal. Too many bittersweet memories came with it.

Looking around, he stared for a moment at the sewer look that made up the décor of the place in recollection. "Might as well go to Kurama's cage… Let's get this over with," he mumbled with trepidation before starting to walk.

Uncharacteristically, the place seemed to darken as he approached the cage and there seemed to be something hanging in the air. It made his skin pickle and not in a pleasant way. _'I really shouldn't have let this happen…' _Naruto thought with a dark look.

Arriving at the enormous gate that served as door of Kurama's cage, Naruto felt dread seep into him with a grimace. The bars were rusted and felt different that the last times he'd been here. They felt… more fragile. That didn't bode well with him, he realized. Scanning the room, he saw the remnants of the paper tag with 'Seal' written on it. Obviously, the seal had no purpose without the tenant and had fallen off on its own. However, the fact that the gate was slightly open was far more worrisome.

He sighed, passing a hand through his hair. He knew this moment would come eventually. He didn't like it had to be so soon after his awakening but there had been signs already… "Ugh, I'm too fucking old for this shit."

And yet, he resolutely entered inside his former partner's cage, decided to confront his darkest secret.

Perhaps the fact that the gates were open should have been more a more worrying thing but considering that beyond the gates stretched a thick, foreboding forest, there had to be some priorities.

"So you've been redecorating the house, huh?" he mumbled as he stared at the forest with narrowed eyes. "Let's see what else you came up with, then…"

The forest was certainly creepy, there were strange sounds all over the place and sometimes –and only if he strained his hearing- he could hear the wailing of a baby and the crazed high pitched laugh of strange things that lurked deep in the shadows with piercing red eyes and odd forms. The atmosphere was completed with the presence of a moon in full moon phase high in the… well 'sky' surely would be a misnomer but nonetheless, the moon was the only source of light in the whole forest, creating shadows and ghastly forms with its pale light.

Glancing around, he kept everything in check, just in case something decided to attack him. He had to give a seven for the whole oppressing atmosphere. A lesser man would be certainly cowering or mildly disturbed buy he was a ninja; it would take more to truly scare him with such theatrics.

There was a clearing just right ahead and he could feel his objective in there. Narrowing his eyes, he prepared himself to face one of his greatest failures. It was time to confront it and with such thoughts, he stepped into the clearing. He could feel the presence just in front of him, beyond the first line of trees. The moonlight didn't reach them and they were shrouded in darkness.

**"So you've finally decided to visit… Naruto." **It was a woman's voice, that much he could recognize.

He scowled. "I'm not here by choice but I thought I could use the chance… You're supposed to be sealed away."

**"You look surprised about that, my friend."**

"Let's leave something perfectly clear: we're_ not_ friends, bitch," he grounded out with fire in his eyes but she merely chuckled.

**"I will pretend I didn't hear that last comment. Regarding your question however, did you really think those shackles in the Fade were only keeping you locked? Don't be so naïve, I would have thought that after so long, you would have thought about the possibility more than once,"** she mused.

"Don't mock me! Ever since I woke up, I suspected something. Those headaches… the throbbing in my head… I know it was you all along!"

**"Indeed, I was trying to talk to you… I was shocked to see they even managed to part me in two but luckily, they linked my essence to the shackles! I should probably thank your pretty friend. Without her, I would still be sealed in two halves. Thankfully, the knowledge for that seems to have been lost."**

"You… leave Neria _alone _or you will find just why I beat Madara all by myself," he threatened with narrowed eyes as the clearing filled with the thick feeling of pure killing intent.

**"Ah… there it is… I was beginning to worry you had softened up… too much. Though, to be fair, you only won thanks to the chance the Tailed Beasts gave you, Naruto."**

Growling, he took several steps forward, trying to get a better look at her. "You've got a lot of nerve to say that to my face when you're freeloading in my body. You also took Kurama's cage as your own..." He recollected before he blasted her with even a greater amount of killing intent. _"Do you really wish to die that much?!"_

For a second everything was silent until the unknown being spoke as if nothing had happened, completely unaffected by the murderous aura around Naruto. **"Your threats are inconsequential. Kurama had been gone from this place for a long time before I took residence here and rest assured, I have no wish to harm your friend. Why would I? It's only thanks to her that I am one again… yet it's still not enough," **the being said as she paced around, not quite going into the moonlight. **"Besides which, I have improved Kurama's cage by quite a bit. Don't you like it? I created all of this as a reflection from my own realm, the Evergloam. It makes me feel closer to home… However, the matter of my presence still raises an important topic…"**

"You could have stayed in your own fucking home or whatever. I don't give a fuck," Naruto grumbled before sighing wearily. "What are you getting at?"

**"You haven't told any of your new… friends about my existence. Why is that? Is it because you're afraid, perhaps?" **

"Agh, what would you know?! Stop making assumptions of my actions and just die!" Naruto snapped angrily as he rushed at high speed towards her with the clear intention to kill. However, his efforts were useless; as soon as he reached the last spot she'd been standing on, he realized she had already disappeared.

Her voice came from behind him this time. **"Tsk, tsk, tsk… you shouldn't resort to violence so eagerly, Naruto. Power without intelligence is akin to giving a little child a weapon of unmatched properties. Don't you remember anything of everything you learned in the Elemental Nations?"**

"Stop going through my fucking memories!"

**"You can hardly blame me for… **_**having**_** them, for a lack of a better term. We are now two parts of one single being now, it is understandable I would be able to relive what you've experienced up to the point of our untimely sealing."**

Naruto simply refrained from commenting this time, simply glaring hatefully at her silhouette and she sighed resignedly. **"I have to admit I find myself a bit… disappointed. You are lacking, in a sense." **

"What the hell are you going on about now?" he growled but this time a shadow of something menacing hung in the air, permeating it like a blanket as the being stopped pacing for a moment, acting agitated all of a sudden.

**"If you stopped to look at yourself for even a moment, you would realize you have grown weak, fool! You stand back, letting others fight for you! You rely on others, using excuses and reason to try justifying your weakness! Where is the man who ended the Fourth Great Ninja War?! Where is the man that ruthlessly crushed those in front of his path?! Gone and in his place, only a fool too scared of his own power to wield it like he did before! You could carve your way to the top in mere days, no one would be able to stop you and yet you cower and tremble of your own strength, the one you bled for!" **she ranted, striking a chord in Naruto. **"You are no longer the one who was feared by many, his name whispered in fear! Only a mere… shadow of your former self,"** she whispered with something similar to disgust.

"That's bullshit! Without hardships there's no struggle, no will to improve yourself; that is why I let the others fight mostly on their own. I want peace, not complacency! If I always stepped in to bail them out, they wouldn't grow stronger, they would simply expect me to take care of the problem like countless times before! Besides, the Blight is not my responsibility but Neria and Alistair's. Mine was the Fourth Great War, nothing else and I ended it single handedly! You have no right to question me!"

**"Your logic is sound… yet you still fail to see the truth. At your core, you have lost a certain… strength, a special fire. Your whole being is, to put it simply, tired."**

"You're telling me I'm tired of living?" the blond questioned, nonplussed. "Well, I am dying right now, so I guess…"

**"Now, I believe I didn't say that."**

**"**Alright, what do you_ really_ want?! I'm dying right now and you just had to decide to knock on the house? Seriously, one can't even die in peace these days!" It was just his _luck_ that time in this special dimension passed slower than in the real world, meaning he could pretty much be here for several days before he died for good.

**"Why, how rude. Have you already forgotten that it's **_**you**_** who has kept me from making contact? This was the only chance I had to come out and talk face to face to you. In any case, I want few things, none of which you can give me… perhaps at some point. However, there is but one thing I want to do. It's very simple, really... I want to show the world again the true meaning of **_**fear**_**," **she explained before stepping into the light and Naruto could finally see her form.

She was certainly tall, he thought as he examined her critically, perhaps a bit taller than him. However, the effect was enhanced if you took into account the thrice spiked crown resting atop her head with a gleaming jewel in the front. Her skin had a pale complexion but it almost looked… unearthly. She wore a black gown with blood red lining in the parted folds of fabric that covered her legs. Naruto could also see the red, pointed shoes with odd markings on them and the mane of raven locks she sported was very striking. She certainly had an attractive and curvaceous figure but, although her gleaming red eyes were a tad unnerving, they weren't as disturbing as the pair of red and black butterfly wings sprouting from her back.

Yes, _butterfly_ wings. For a moment, Naruto wondered if some deity far above was getting their dose of amusement at this scene.

The being certainly noticed the unbidden attention she was receiving from Naruto and her lips curled into a slight smile. **"You find this form appealing, then?" **

Now, that certainly got a reaction as Naruto spluttered in disbelief. "W-what? No way!"

**"Now, now, there's no need to be shy, Naruto. I can adopt any form I wish, to an extent. Do stay, perhaps you would like to spend some time with your beloved Yugito**?" she wondered with a cruel predatory smirk as her hair started lightening to blond.

"Turn into Yugito and I will eviscerate you, demon_. I swear_," Naruto threatened with steely eyes, sobering immediately.

**"Demon? Please, do not compare me to such lowly rabble. My existence is on a different whole level of perfection than theirs."**

Naruto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. That statement sure dripped with arrogance but he couldn't deny the statement, at least to some extent. His gut was telling him this was no normal being and certainly outclassed the demons they had been fighting in the Tower. Of course, the next logical question would be which one of the two was stronger…

"In that case, I'm sure you're not above giving me a name to go by. You _do _know mine, after all."

Surprisingly, the being seemed to consider it. **"… My name is unpronounceable in a human tongue. Or any mortal one, for that matter. It's physically impossible and there's no translation. My… subjects, however, gave me a title long ago. The closest translation I can give you is 'Witch Queen'. You may… call me that," **she stated as a heavy tome of leathery covers appeared in her slender hands.

"What is that book?" he asked with a distrustful glance at it but the Witch Queen merely shook her head as she flipped a page, looking for something.

**"Trust me, you need not concern yourself with this book. There's nothing of your interest in it." **

"Considering you're going to be the last person I talk to, you could at least answer my questions, you know," he huffed, annoyed.

**"Oh believe me, there's no need for you to die,"** she assured him with an odd look before closing the book, which disappeared as soon as it closed. She then started advancing towards him. **"You see, Naruto, we both know you despise me. You think of me as the reason for all those years in the Fade, yet weren't it for me, you'd be dead. I'm the reason you were able to rescue all your friends that time when that betrayal threatened to behead the leaders of Andraste's armies. Why do you hate me? I do not seek your death, Naruto."**

"Shut up! I accepted you because I needed to, because I was forced to! That doesn't mean I wanted to let you in my body!"

"**Hmm, regardless of your feelings on the matter, you know I'm speaking the truth. However, for the sake of cooperation I will aid you again. It will also help me with my current goal and we can't have you dying on me, now can we?" **

"What are you talking abo-" However, he was cut off when the Witch Queen suddenly appeared in front of him and cupped his cheeks with her hands, too fast for him to react.

"**Let us be one, once again." **

And with that ominous statement, the being smashed her luscious lips against Naruto's. Widening his eyes, he could only look ahead as his body slackened and his vision darkened.

"**Sweet dreams… Naruto."**

xxOOOxx

"Maker… how could this have happened?" Solana breathed out in horror. Since the moment Naruto fell, everything had just gone to hell. The demon, Zod or whatever it called itself, had decided to stop playing around and showed them just how powerful it really was. The attacks from the templar unit were effective but they couldn't use their more devastating attacks for fear of hitting the other surviving mages. Moreover, they also weren't at their best, with several of their operatives down for the count and all those mages that had been kept as prisoners could barely be of any help.

The damn bastard was just toying with them and they were too exhausted to do anything about it, too outclassed. Solana couldn't suppress the feeling of desperation that filled her heart when she watched those who were knocked down try to get up. The greater humiliation was that the demon didn't finish them when they were down, it allowed them to get up and only then, did Zod knock them down once again.

"**Now you realize the inutility of your efforts… Just surrender and lie down, I promise you will feel nothing." **

"We will not surrender, demon!" Alistair shouted. "Neria, Leliana, give me cover!"

'_Why? Why do you keep fighting? Don't you see it's hopeless? We're not strong enough, fools!'_ Solana mentally screamed as she crouched next to Naruto in numb shock, watching the now meager efforts the others put in the desperate attempt to kill the abomination fail time and time again. "It's useless. We… we're going to die here… possessed or outright killed, it doesn't matter," she mumbled as her shaking hands clenched into fists, falling into despair.

However, in that exact moment, a strong hand gripped her wrist, startling her. "I wouldn't be too sure of that… Solana."

"N-Naruto?! You whole body was thoroughly broken, how can you be…" she trailed off in shock.

He only gave her a cocky smile, rising up to his feet before helping her to stand. "I have an advanced healing ability and regenerative properties. To make a long story short, I'm very, _very_ hard to kill," he told her with amusement dancing in his eyes. Glancing at the battle, he turned serious. "You did well, Solana… Rest now, I'm finishing this for good," he said before jumping into the fray.

xxOOOxx

"**You should not have done that, worm."**

The statement rang on its ears with an unknown voice, one Zod didn't recognize. Shifting its focus, the demon stared at the clearly possessed body of one of the mortal annoyances. **"You dare call me that?! To me, a Pride demon, one of the strongest?!"**

The newcomer ran a hand over its ashen skin, stopping slightly over the odd markings carved into the flesh. **"You struck the body of the one who contained me, allowing me to take over. Luckily, I was capable of restoring the body to its previous condition but I have not forgotten such slight, however. This is only a basic form at best… but please, don't delude yourself, **_**worm.**_** You are an annoyance at best." **

With a roar, Zod smashed with a fist the spot where the arrogant fly stood but it didn't feel any crushing bones or the warm sensation of blood upon its flesh.

"**Your strikes are powerful enough but uncontrolled and wild. You are a rabid beast; allow me to put you down," **the other demon stated with crossed arms a little further away.

"**Fool, even if you kill me, the mortals will certainly kill you after that!"** Zod rebuked but the other demon merely gave him a fanged grin.

"**You say that but right now, everyone else is backing off on the words they believe are coming from the former user of this body. Illusions are very useful tricks, don't you think? They see and hear exactly what I want them to. It will certainly help me avoid unwanted attention… Now, on a normal day I'd kill you fast and be done with it but I'm in the mood for some playing. Let's see how durable you really are, little demon. After all… you are unable to truly threaten the Reunion." **

"**You arrogant bug… Very well, come and show me your strength so I can crush it!" **Zod declared before he sent several bolts of lightning at the new foe.

"**Bold words but… can you back them up?"** The new demon mused with an uncaring attitude that made Zod see red. The demon, who had not even bothered to give its own name, evaded all the bolts with raw speed, so fast that it almost seemed to be in two places at the same time. **"You are more powerful than most mortals and many demons. However, your own form is bulky and slow. Trading size for power allows one to reach new heights of strength and this body… This body is perhaps the pinnacle of killing machines. However, you foolishly believe to be at the top of the food chain… Allow me to educate you on your grievous error," **the new demon said before a long wicked gash appeared in Zod's abdominal section, secreting a sickly purplish color. The attack had been so fast that Zod hadn't been able to see it but the demon could see now the sword in the unknown demon's hand, dripping with the same blood as the one from Zod's body.

"**You seem incapable of matching this speed. Perhaps I should slow myself down?"** mocked the smaller demon but it then gasped in pain as twisted horns started to grow out of his scalp, forming a crown-like formation of bone around the head in seconds, covered in blood. Zod did not attack the demon, too stunned to do anything.

Heaving with difficulty, the demon gingerly touched the new protrusions of its head, staring bemusedly at the blood-drenched hand. **"I see… so the Reunion isn't actually fully complete… It makes sense, after all… I forcefully assumed direct control of this form…"**

Growling, Zod tried to trap the not so weak demon inside a Crushing Prison after sending at it a burst of cold powerful enough to freeze upon contact. The tactic proved useless when the smaller demon spat a beam of fire that turned the freezing air into thick fog, effectively hiding them from the others in the room, before smashing upon Zod's chest. Howling in agony, the Pride demon had to jump aside to avoid more damage on its physical vessel. **"Be thankful I'm not really suited to use these techniques. Had I been able to use the most powerful version, you'd have gotten a completely charred body instead of severe burns." **

Shaking from rage, Zod growled as this upstart dared to mock it. **"How dare you… How dare you strike me?! I am ZOD! The skies crumble upon my presence! My very existence warps the fabric of the Fade! I will not fall here, you will beg for my mercy!" **Zod shouted as it started attacking recklessly. For its own part, the other demon merely huffed, tired of Zod's raving tendencies.

"**I know I said I would play with you for a while but you're no longer amusing me. I should have known better than to expect getting some enjoyment out of you. I am ending this…" **it said before appearing in front of Zod and slamming its foot on the floor all the while avoiding the other's attacks. Immediately, a rippling shield of light rose and trapped Zod inside a circular ball before the bigger demon could even react. **"You might want to change back to a human form; you see these threads that make up the prison? They are hot enough to melt iron quite quickly. Why don't we find out the effect they have on unprotected flesh, hmm?"** the demon said as its mouth widened in clear amusement.

The ball started to slowly compress upon itself, just to show Zod the hopelessness of its own situation. The Pride demon grazed several threads with its arm and immediately retracted it when the arm started smoking and the telltale smell of burnt flesh appeared.

"**If you think I will beg for my existence, you're sorely mistaken, worm,"** Zod hissed. They both knew that not much would happen if Zod's vessel in the mortal world was struck down; Zod would simply return to the Fade, like every demon possessing a body. However and to Zod's slight surprise, the other demon actually cackled in true amusement.

"**Do you really believe I care for such a fact? Go, return to whatever hole you crawled out from the Fade and stay there because if I ever see your hideous face again, I will ensure to erase you from existence. Remember my name, **_**little demon**_**, and despair for it is the Witch Queen who defeated you." **

"**You?! Impossible! The stirrings stopped long ago!"**

The Witch Queen narrowed the borrowed eyes. **"They will return soon enough. However, that is… information that you shouldn't posses… Congratulations, you just gave me a reason to kill your body faster." **Raising an arm with an outstretched hand, a black substance started coalescing in front of it and Zod grew noticeably nervous as seconds passed.

"**The Wild Hunt has no reason to interfere, no right!" **

"**On the contrary… in this world of mortals, Power is Might and Might… is Right. Goodbye, Zod, I do hope to never…" **

'_Get the fuck out of my damn body, you bitch!'_

The Witch Queen's last words would never be finished because Naruto's body suddenly doubled over in pain. For a moment, Zod thought it to be another slight transformation but the elder demon remained half doubled and surprisingly, the crown made of bones looked_ brittle_ just like that and it just crumbled into dust moments later. The ashen skin regained the same hard-to-name hue other mortals had and new flesh filled in the carved markings, smoothing over the skin.

The Queen's overly menacing aura had entirely disappeared. Taking a deep breath, the body adopted a straight posture and Zod was able to confirm its suspicions. A mere mortal… had taken control of his body back. Ludicrous! Madness! Nothing like this was possible, taking possession of a mortal vessel would effectively destroy any sense of conscience from the previous owner!

"**Sorry abo**ut that. I had to wait the right moment to take back control," he said with a frown as the prison of super heated threads blinked for a few moments before vanishing from existence. Even the mortal's voice returned to its previous state…

"**You… this can't be… Impossible…"** However, he wasn't Zod for nothing; the demon understood just fine that this turned the situation to its favor once again. **"Ha! There's nothing you can do against me now, fool! I will crush-"** Zod had to stop the gloating part when it noticed something trickling down its neck. Something was dripping on the floor… Zod stood there, blinking confusedly as it stared at the growing pool of blood forming on the floor.

"Who said I was defenseless?" asked Naruto with a pleasant smile as he held up the sword completely coated in purplish blood but sadly, Zod couldn't hear Naruto's words anymore, for its head had fallen to the floor with a dull thud. Seconds later, the body also fell with a louder smack as Naruto nodded to himself with a grim look. "That takes care of it."

'_I'm just happy the Queen or whatever she called herself used an illusion as she said. I sure as hell don't know how I would get out of this one if she hadn't…' _he thought with a dark look. Several steps would need to be taken to isolate her in Kurama's cage. He wasn't about to hand his body to her on a silver plate and Kami knows the disasters she could create if she ever got permanent control.

Dispersing the fog with a weak gust of wind from his own elemental affinity, Naruto gave the others a thumbs up signal. "It's done, guys! The demon is dead, thanks for believing in me." He, of course, was referring to the words the Witch Queen had told them. It baffled him a bit that they would comply so readily with what they thought was a genuine request coming from him. Did they really believe in him that much?

Seeing the beheaded corpse that was quickly disintegrating into nothingness, everyone was able to relax after so long and some of the mages even started crying tears of relief, from the shock that their nightmare had finally ended. In mere minutes, all capable were helping those who were too weak to walk properly, with Wynne and Solana doing as best as they could to heal them even with their own exhaustion. It was agreed that those still with some juice in their system would go down and inform Greagoir that the threat had passed before bringing some more people to help bring everyone to the infirmary, where they could be properly treated.

"Wow, I can't believe it… You killed that demon after such an injury… just like that. You really are something else, Naruto," Solana told him with admiration clear in her voice as she stared at the blackened spot where the demon's body had disintegrated.

The blond just chuckled nervously. "Mah mah, it was nothing. I'm sure you all would have killed the demon in the end."

"Well... I'm just happy everything's over. The only thing I want to do now is curl over and doze off. And repair my coat: I loved it and now it's all torn up," she moaned with despair as she tiredly rubbed her neck.

Finally taking a good look at it, he nodded. "It looks pretty cool. It suits you," he complimented before yawning widely and missing completely the pink hue darkening Solana's cheeks.

"Ah, uhm… t-thank you! W-we should probably follow the others downstairs," she stuttered before scurrying over to where Irving was walking with the help of Neria, who had a relieved yet forced smile on her face as she listened to her mentor grumble about the_ ridiculous_ number of stairs in the Tower. Naruto, for his part, couldn't quite suppress the sigh building in his throat. _'Women…'_

He took one last glance at the spot where Wynne was fusing over the weakened mages before following the others, a contemplative frown on his face.

They had finally put an end to the demonic outbreak threat and hopefully, would receive the promise of aid from the mages -and perhaps, even the templars'- against the Blight. Everything seemed to go smoothly. He just hoped it would stay that way.

Then again, that was like asking for something to happen with this kind of things.

xxOOOxx

Standing upon the highest cliff of her pseudo realm, The Witch Queen mused over the events in the Tower. **"I was clearly a fool. I rushed the Reunion and forcibly sped up things. That must be the reason why Naruto was able to reject it... This just complicates things more than they already were," **she sighed with irritation, her wings vibrating as they responded to her state of mind.

Not even sparing a glance at the squeaky figure of one of her followers -or rather, the Queen's mental projection of it- that was standing symbolic guard, she started the way back to her castle, pondering on the best way to get Naruto's acceptance.

'_**This plan of yours better work… I have not been sealed away in two for such a long time just for your narcissistic delusions of grandeur to doom us all… my liege,'**_ she thought with contempt.

There were plans to be made.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: And cut, chapter finished… It took a looong time to get this done and it's thanks to some individuals who asked me about the update that I hauled my ass over the chair and kept typing. So... about fucking time!

Some hints for future events thrown around and the knife of murder makes its first appearance in-story and it surprisingly doesn't murder someone! Knife of murder disapproves! (-17).

For Uldred's behemoth-like creature, I took the description of a powerful enemy raised by Kali, a not-so-a-goddess from The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. Whoever doesn't know them, I highly recommend them to you. They are really good, in my humble opinion, and certainly don't shy away from adult themes. Obviously, I don't own The Angel Trilogy and the characters depicted in it.

Yes, I went there. I did it, I fucking gave the demon possessing Uldred General Zod's most known line and name. Sue me! Oh wait… obviously enough, I don't own the Superman franchise and any of its related characters. Happy, now? Although, the end was a little anti-climatic...

So, we finally discover that Naruto's throbbing sensation in his head actually had something to do with the story! Who would've guessed, huh? To whoever is interested to know, I used Nox Arcana's Grimm Tales album to create the Witch Queen character. I used the cover of the album (she's basically the woman you see on it) and the tracks on it for inspiration. For a visual, go to the art section in my profile, there's a link to a very good image. She certainly has traces of Harbinger, though. Creepy…

Well, nothing else to say, I believe. Take care, I'll see all of you when the next chapter is up. Hopefully, sooner than this one took to appear...


	13. Interlude - The Tower

I have now a beta for this story, a round of applause for AlekTas! We've already gone through the prologue, as his arguments have convinced me it really needs improvement. I'll start rewriting it after this chapter, but new ones take preference, of course.

Also, this chapter wouldn't be at the same level without him.

I hope you're all enjoying summer, though.

Nothing else to say this time. Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Dragon Age.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 <strong>

**Interlude – The Tower**

Too tired to even think of setting camp and staying outside, the group gratefully accepted Irving's offer of shelter in the Tower. They were exhausted and wounded and Neria was certain they would have outright rioted against her if she so much dared to consider the idea of passing the chance of sleeping on warm beds, a luxury they simply couldn't afford on normal circumstances.

They had found the group defended by Marcus, Lyrian, Brinna and all the other mages on their way to Greagoir, surprising the templar group sent by the Grand Cleric. Tired as they were, they could only lift their weapons in the case they were possessed but after an examination that was as thorough as it could be on those circumstances, the templars had reluctantly declared the group free of any possessed individual and moved on. The leader had questioned where they had been, since they had not seen them when they passed through on their way up but Marcus had simply shrugged, saying that it had been Lyrian's idea: since they knew someone would arrive at some point bringing the authorization for the Annulment, she suggested they move away from the main corridor and go further into the kitchens, where they could barricade themselves.

"Just in case whoever came decided to put everyone to the sword without checking for possession first," Lyrian had added to Marcu's explanation. The slight tone of reproval was clear in her voice.

The templar leader, whose name they finally learnt was Thomas, had wearily nodded at that. To be honest, they hadn't been strictly professional as they passed the different levels. Seeing the trails of blood but nothing attacking them, they had simply followed the different signs of fighting until they stumbled upon Neria's group. Caria's death before they reached the Tower had been a hard blow but his actions afterwards had still been a huge oversight on his part and could only thank the Maker that everything had turned out alright. Andraste knew it wouldn't happen again, should they find themselves in a similar situation at some point.

Thanks to Irving's presence they had been able to convince Greagoir that the demonic threat was solved and he'd looked noticeably relieved to see so many of the mages alive and relatively unharmed, with several of the templars that he'd already considered lost accompanying them. His eyes were positively bright and slightly moist as he'd gazed at the surviving children but he'd quickly blinked and Neria, who'd seen it, had discarded the idea that those were tears building at the corners of Greagoir's eyes. The idea itself was _ridiculous._

In that moment, he also quickly shot down Cullen's exigence of going through with the Annulment. Even Thomas rebuked his pleas as the leader of the group appointed to carry out such order, telling him that the immediate threat of a demonic outbreak in Ferelden was gone. Cullen had left outraged after that.

Morrigan had chosen to make her entrance in that moment, limping a little and completely drenched, having saved the templar that Uldred had sent flying –Dorian, she recalled- from certain death. She sure had done an amazing job at spurning their thanks with her haughty attitude, though. For his part, Naruto hadn't shared the thought but it was possible she had done it simply so the other templars would be more… amenable at ignoring the fact that she was an apostate. However, he was fairly sure the only thing keeping them from getting their hands on her was her assistance to the two remaining fereldan Wardens and Neria's vouching for her.

Well, at least she got a new staff out of the whole ordeal or so it seemed, if Winter's Breath strapped to her back was anything to go by. The quartermaster cowering away from her in fear every time he saw her only reinforced the point and one couldn't help but wonder what she'd done or told the man to leave him in such a sorry state.

The man had also tried to take back the staff Neria had taken for herself. The elven mage could understand why he felt that desperate to reclaim it, Tlaxius's staff was incredibly powerful. For example, she found out one enchantment applied to the staff was to lower the cost the spells had on her magical reserves, among other many interesting enchantments. She certainly wasn't going to part with the staff anytime soon but for the inconveniences, she gave him seventy sovereigns. He'd immediately complained that the staff was worth at least five times what she'd given him. She agreed about that but then had immediately shrewdly pointed out that without their assistance, he wouldn't have had a need for money since he would likely be dead. He'd grumbled after that but in the end, he'd accepted the money knowing she was right, he was lucky to have gotten out of the whole situation with his life intact.

In any case, they had decided they would spend the following days resting, recovering from their wounds and helping around with whatever that could be done in the Tower to begin the reparations (only some of them volunteered for that last thing, though). After that, they would leave to resume their mission.

With that settled, each one of them opted to spend those days as they wished.

**xxOOOxx**

Some hours later, Neria was in the library, wandering around aimlessly and caressing the books' spines every now and then, immersed in her thoughts. She'd caught up with Irving some time before and she still had a little smile on her face from then. Since he'd personally taught her ever since she was a little girl, Irving had always meant a lot to her. In a way, Irving was probably the parental figure of her life, something between a father and grandfather. However it was, it made Neria happy to know someone truly cared for her like Irving did. Leorah also had also her affection, but it really wasn't the same. She was younger than Irving, though still older than Neria. She was more like the older sibling.

Besides, Irving had also given her some books with advanced and powerful spells, simply commenting as he stared at the ceiling that it would be such a great shame if they got lost in the current situation. Hell yeah…

However, the loud steps coming towards her broke her out of her reverie.

When he arrived, Greagoir didn't bother hiding himself –the bulky armor would have made it very difficult, anyway- but Neria didn't acknowledge him, choosing to ignore the templar-commander.

"Surana… Neria, I would like to talk with you," the man requested and his voice was silently hopeful for a yes. It had a nasal tone to it, a reminder of his broken nose, which was covered in bandages.

Neria didn't answer at first but she swerved her gaze around. "… Did you see it?" No more words were needed; Greagoir knew exactly what she was referring to.

"I… yes. We gave them the proper rites, along with everyone else. Mages and templars alike. No distinctions."

"Good."

"… Neria, I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier. I needlessly antagonized you when it shouldn't have happened, even knowing your past with the Tower. I can only refer to the whole situation as an excuse."

"Yet you still don't think your actions inappropriate…" she trailed off as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

"… No."

"Then, why does it matter? I don't need apologies, the dead do and there's nothing they can hear now," she stated simply but Greagoir shook his head.

"I'll… admit that perhaps I should or could have done more but understand that I didn't have a lot of time to decide on my actions. In case of a demonic outbreak, the Chantry is clear on what must be done. Had we not sealed the doors, we would have been eventually overrun and demons would be rampaging around Ferelden unchecked in the middle of a Blight. Do you think I wanted to order to seal the doors? Mages and templars died by the dozens; there was no difference for the demons, apart from the fact that one or two mages would allow possession just before being gutted, I guess. You must have seen their corpses when you were inside."

Slowly, Neria nodded. They had come across many of them, yes.

"I can see you must think of me as cold hearted scum, no matter what I say. Believe what you want but don't think for even a second that I don't mourn their deaths, no matter who they were."

Greagoir started to leave the library but a chilling laugh stopped him dead in his tracks. Turning, he saw Neria looking at him with a snarl on her face. "You, mourn their deaths? Perhaps, it doesn't change the fact you readily locked them in the slaughter. _You_ might grieve them, but how long until something like this happens again, huh? A decade, two? Perhaps five? Time will pass, yet the reason will still be the same: freedom. We both aren't stupid, Greagoir, Uldred resorted to Blood magic with the lone goal to achieve freedom for the mages. The situation went out of his control but don't you dare condemn his reason!" Neria finally exploded.

"I saw several individuals being surprised about all this! Some templars simply shrugged and commented it was about time they purged us! Things like that happen and you dare to paint us as the bad guys here?! The only reason Uldred rebelled was because you templars keep oppressing us like vermin! Your Chant of Light never preached magic is evil, it only warns about the Maleficar! It warns us is to be careful with its use yet the Chantry saw fit to condemn every mage to ever be born as lambs waiting to be possessed by demons just because some Magisters from Tevinter wanted to play in the Fade and got turned into darkspawn! The Circles are no schools; they are prisons, with some of them having been actual prisons! It must come in handy when they need to cull our numbers when the bad mage decides he's had enough of living oppressed, I guess! So no, don't try to apologize, not like that. I don't think I'm capable of accepting it now…" she finally hissed after her rant.

Fuming, Neria turned around and retreated further into the library, before Greagoir could say anything, leaving him alone pondering on her words. What she'd said could be easily considered blasphemy; the Chantry was quite clear on its stance towards the heretics against the Chant of Light and the Chantry itself. And yet, a small voice in his head reasoned her words did have a little truth in them. He wasn't as blind as some of his men thought… Pursing his lips, Greagoir then left the library, mulling over the conversation.

For her part, Neria had finally calmed down after punching hard the wall just before Naruto suddenly appeared and sat next her. Too drained to muster enough heat in glaring, she simply glanced at him.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"Didn't that hurt?" he answered with another question, staring at the dent in the wall.

"No, it didn't," she curtly replied. The effects of being an Arcane Warrior were already showing.

"Oh… Well, if you must know, I'm actually hiding from Solana. She's been hounding me for an hour, now. It's almost impossible to get her off my trail. Even with shadow clones, she still manages to find me eventually," he told her with a grimace before giving Neria a serious look. "He did sound truthful, you know. Greagoir, I mean," he said with levity, looking for a reaction.

"I know…" she agreed, too tired to care that Naruto had eavesdropped on the conversation.

"Still angry with him, I see. I can't really blame you but you should ask yourself if this is the right thing to do. I'm not really saying he's completely blameless but can you honestly blame him for everything that's happened here? In his situation, there was no right choice, only some slightly less bad than others. Besides, from what you've told about these Templars and from what I've seen myself, it was actually surprising he actually bothered to apologize at all or tried to explain his actions," he reasoned with a shake of his head.

"I know that. I'm aware I should apologize for breaking his nose, at the very least. But I can't, every time I think about what's happened here, I feel like my blood is boiling," she explained with a faraway look. "Even with Irving and some of my… friends having survived, I'll be glad to leave this place."

"Running away, Neria?"

"Maybe… I don't know," the young woman admitted after a long, awkward minute of silence.

"You shouldn't be ashamed. We all are running away from something, we can't help it," Naruto sentenced.

Neria cocked her head to a side, staring at him. She'd actually been doing it on and off since the start of their small chat and it was beginning to unnerve Naruto, to be honest. "Are you running away from something too, Naruto?" she asked after a moment.

He scoffed at her, rolling his eyes. "Of course I am."

They stayed in silence for some time, each deep in their own thoughts, until Naruto spoke up again, his face twisting in a reluctant grimace. He really didn't want to do this but he simply couldn't keep it to himself. "That's actually related to… something I wanted to tell you," he started before looking around, wary. "I'd rather not talk here, though, you never know..."

"… I understand. Luckily for you, I know just the place. Follow me, Naruto."

Neria led her fellow blond to the second floor, where the regular mages lived. They did the walk in silence but Naruto was far too busy mulling over his next words to try and break it.

Soon enough, they reached their destination. "This has been an unused classroom for some years now. I doubt anyone's going to bother us here. Come in," Neria invited as she opened the door. Naruto let out a grunt of agreement before complying. Looking around, he could see several desks pilled to a side with some banks next to them. Not really interested in them, he turned around… or tried to, because his own body was unresponsive to his brain's commands.

"I see… so that's what you were planning," he stated with slight curiosity in his voice.

"How did you know I was setting you up?" she asked with a frown after walking into his field of vision.

He couldn't help it; he laughed in her face. "Please, Neria, remember I was a ninja before. It's true the exact definition of what a ninja should be doesn't really apply to me but I've picked some things over the years and honestly, it was obvious you were up to something. I just didn't know _what_ you were going to do. Nice touch with the paralysis spell, but that's not gonna last much longer," he chided her but to his surprise, she only smirked with confidence.

"That's where you're wrong. This paralysis spell is not going to end until I decide to," she boldly declared.

'_That so, huh? Knowing Neria, that's not arrogance talking through her mouth. She usually doesn't say stuff like that without knowing if it's true… She must have something up her sleeve if she's that confident, then… I possibly could overpower the spell but I still want to know why she saw fit to restrain me,'_ he mused with a frown.

"Well then, why did you restrain me?"

Surprisingly, that single laidback question made Neria really angry. "Don't play stupid, I know what you did, demon! You possessed Naruto! I saw it with my own eyes," she hissed with malice in her voice.

Naruto's hands twitched and clenched involuntarily in an instinctual response to the hated word of 'demon', having had to hear far too many times in his childhood. He also couldn't help the furious snarl that deformed his features, baring his teeth at her. "Don't call me _that_!" Even with all the self-control he'd gained, he still had problems when someone accused him of that.

"See?! Why would you say that if you weren't a demon?!" Neria exclaimed in triumph, raising her staff.

Unmindful of Neria's threatening stance, his mind quickly connected the dots. _'Going with her words, she must have seen me getting possessed by that bitch, however briefly. Just my luck, I was planning on telling her just now. How am I supposed to convince her that I'm the real Naruto now?'_ he thought with a mental, frustrated sigh.

A crystalline laugh that had nothing of pure echoed in his mind with a ghostly reverberation. _**'Naruto, even after all this time, your human nature makes this situations much harder than they have any right to be,'**_ was the amused comment from the Witch Queen. _**"Why not simply overpower the spell and be done with this nonsense?"**_

'_Shut up, nobody asked your opinion,'_ he mentally shot back in cool annoyance but it was to no use.

'_**I will give my opinion whenever I feel like it, Naruto. You can't do anything about it.'**_

'_Ha, not for long, you freak. I'm going to restore Kurama's seal and switch off this mental link you established when I wasn't looking as soon as I can. I won't have you poking around uninvited,'_ he warned her and was pleased to… 'feel' –for a lack of a better term- her brief bout of anger before it changed back into amusement.

'_**That may be so, but you won't be getting rid of me anytime soon. We're connected on an intrinsic level, you and I,'**_she remarked with morbid amusement. _**'Remember that, for I'm always watching.'**_

Suppressing a shudder at the implications of her words, he took a deep breath to calm down his anger and opened his eyes, looking straight at Neria. "You're wrong, Neria. That's actually what I wanted to tell you about, but it seems you already spelled it out for me. Yes, I've got a demon inside me but I've got it under control."

'_**That's clearly something you wish with your whole being, Naruto, yet you know how false that is, though… And though it's irritating to repeat it once again, I'm something above demonkind.'**_

Naruto winced at the being's words as Neria spoke up, "You think I'd believe that stupid excuse? You're just parading around as Naruto! No one is capable of taking back control after being possessed. It's impossible!" she cried vehemently, lowering her staff with narrowed eyes.

Naruto could see that Neria didn't see the counterarguments against her claims simply because she was a little too 'emotionally invested' in the situation. If he had to be honest, he knew Neria could have easily reached those same counterarguments if she had kept a cool head. As it was, he'd have to reason with her with what little he knew and had seen of demons while appeasing to her more logical side.

"Is it? We've seen that someone can live centuries with the right abilities. You've seen some of the things I can do, things that are probably considered impossible in Thedas. Who's to say there isn't someone out there who can perform the thing you've seen me do?"

As Naruto talked, Neria seemed a little less sure of herself yet he still could see the doubt in her sea-green eyes.

"Also, if I were a demon, wouldn't I be rampaging around the Tower by now? You've studied the demons for years, I assume, you tell me what I should be doing as a demon possessing a body that can't use magic to begin with," he reasoned sarcastically.

"You could be one of the higher demons. You could be waiting for the right moment to strike, when our guards are dropped…" she argued stubbornly.

"Don't be an idiot, do you see me acting like an arrogant prick, pissing pride? I certainly haven't gone around showing off my admittedly awesome jutsu for the world to see," he retorted. "Besides which, if I were really a demon possessing my body, I could have easily killed you all after dealing with Zod because, well, you were all dead on your feet, admit it. If I were a demon, why would I bother with disguises and smoke-screens in such circumstances?"

"I… I don't know," Neria finally admitted after a long moment of silence, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't know what to believe anymore. I want to believe you, but what if you're lying? What if you're really the demon, trying to trick me into releasing you? I know that it might sound ridiculous when you pile up everything you've said but… what if? That's one of the demons's goals after all, after all. To doubt yourself so they can prey on you," she finished rather ominously, torn on what to do.

"What if, indeed… However, the answer is pretty simple, actually," he commented calmly and Neria gave him a confused expression. "Who's the one paralyzed here? Right now, you hold all the cards. You have two options: you can believe what I'm saying and trust me on it or you can play it safe and kill me. If you do, I wouldn't blame you, Kami knows I was forced into this situation several times."

Hearing his options, Neria could only gape at him in shock. "W-what are you saying? How can you push me like that between a rock and a hard place? Are you suicidal?!" she exclaimed.

Naruto, for his part, could only look away with a mildly ashamed expression as memories of Yugito jumped to the forefront of his mind. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. "Perhaps I am... but it doesn't change the situation we're in. You've got to choose, there's no other way around," he calmly told her, inwardly crushing the sudden, desperate attempts of the Queen to seize control.

Truthfully, this ultimatum was as much about the being within Naruto as Neria's trust in his word. The possibility of a powerful demon commanding Naruto's body was terrifying, not accounting whether or not the demon would be able to use his special abilities but what if he was telling the truth? Neria would kill an innocent man that had saved their lives several times just to prevent something that could possibly not happen at all.

In the end, it all came down to whether Neria believed in Naruto or not. "There's no middle ground, Neria. We can't stay here forever and involving more people won't solve anything, rather it will only complicate this further."

"I…" Still doubtful, she raised her staff once again but this time, her grip was weak, slackened. "I don't know what to do…" she whispered.

"… Remember the talk we had while we were traveling to Denerim? We've been over this already; many times you will have to choose between two evils. There will be no middle ground, or even a morally acceptable choice and you will only be able to pick the lesser of the two evils. Alistair looks unwilling to take the responsibility on his shoulders -at least for now- and you two are the only Grey Warden around. Thanks to your political independence, you're the only one in the right position to raise an armed front against the darkspawn," he tried to reassure as best as he could. "This is a bit like that: no one's gonna tell you the right answer; hell, there might be no right answer! What I'm trying to say is that only you can decide. You will have to start to choose for yourself at some point, Neria."

Neria scoffed. "You must be out of your mind, then. What can I possibly do? I'm just a stupid girl way over her head. How can I expect the world to take me seriously and respect me even when I tell them I'm there in their own turf as a Grey Warden, _demanding_ men to fight the Blight with only a flimsy piece of written paper to back up my words? Words and promises are easily swept by the wind. I can't be really suited for this."

"That's true," he shockingly told her with brutal honesty, "but is it that bad? Think about it, while they can't be considered a normal bunch, you've surrounded yourself with people that have decided to follow _you. _Yes, their opinions may clash with yours, they may argue and bicker with you for different –be they stupid or not- reasons but in the end, they are the ones who have decided to watch your back just as much as you watch theirs, with the knowledge that they could end up dead somewhere one day. You might not be ready now, but you can grow up and get ready traveling with them."

Numb with shock, Neria opened her mouth several times yet no sound came from it until she looked away, a mix of emotions flickering across her face. "… I never thought about it that way," she whispered in a soft voice, forgetting completely for a few moments the reason they were there to begin with.

Naruto, seeing this, had the decency of giving her some time before coughing loud enough to grab her attention once again. "Yes, well, we still have to deal with the matter of me being possessed or not, remember?"

Neria frowned, reminded of that certain detail. "You said you had the situation controlled. What about the demon?"

"Well…," Naruto trailed off, stalling for time. How could he tell her? "You have to understand, the circumstances about this… situation rarely will happen again so my case is probably the first and only one there will ever be. However, to explain it all to you, we would easily need one or two days. Days that, I remind you, we don't have."

Eyes narrowing, Neria stalked forward to face Naruto, her face twisting into a hard look. "Again with the secrets, Naruto? I'm honestly getting tired of them, _especially_ if it affects our safety and mission," she warned him. "You're banking on a lot, and I emphasize on the lot part. It's really hard to trust someone who keeps so many secrets from his own companions."

Naruto winced. He couldn't say Neria's accusations were unwarranted; he'd been basically keeping all of his life a secret. Hell, Leliana was becoming increasingly twitchy and her natural curiosity demanded answers about Andraste; answers he wasn't sure he wanted to give. The info he'd given Neria on the Elemental Nations had also been heavily edited and very few times touched on his life specifically.

It's not like it was his fault that his life was kinda fucked up from the beginning but still...

"I guess you're partially right," he muttered in agreement. "It's just that my past is not something I like relieving. It brings up far too many bad memories, I guess," he revealed to her.

"Like Yugito?" His voice was softer now, with a hint of something in it. Naruto liked to think it wasn't pity.

After a slight pang of melancholy, he nodded. "Yes, like her…"

"If you're really, Naruto. why do you still keep pushing ys away? We're your comrades, trust in us as we trust you," Neria told him.

Naruto stared at her with an unrecognizable expression on his face before chuckling a little. "Using my own words against me, well done... Well then, what's it going to be? Death or Life?" he questioned, quickly changing the subject.

Neria didn't answer him, instead focusing on his face, searching for something. What that something was, he didn't know, but she seemed to find it, because after a moment that stretched for a long time in his opinion, she lowered her staff and thumping on the floor twice, the paralysis spell disappeared. "I may be dooming us all because of this… but I don't think you're possessed."

Naruto blinked twice before testily flexing his legs, nodding to her in acknowledgement. "I have to say… I didn't expect to leave this room. Alive, I mean," he commented and Neria pursed her lips in slight distaste of the implied meaning behind his words.

"You aren't going to die, Naruto. Not today, at least."

He nodded, though his mind was racing with his thoughts. _'But how could you see through her illusions? Why you and not anybody else? You're a mage but there were many other mages in the room, so that's not it. What makes you so special, so different from the others that it would allow you to see through the illusions of a demon as if they weren't there? This is another detail pilling up on the others… There's something I'm missing but what? Just what exactly are you, Neria?'_

"That's… good."

Even when answering Neria's comment, he still was unsure of his own statement. He really felt... incomplete without Yugito at his side. Moreover, on top of the sensation of loss, he also felt guilty for forgetting her completely, even if he knew it was something he'd had no control over whatsoever. Still, he was determined to find out just how and why had that happened, at least for now. He had a gut feeling that the… _thing_ inside the Eight Trigrams Seal was somehow involved. But first…

Naruto raised his head, a determined light in his eyes as he looked straight at Neria.

"Neria, you... are right. I've been avoiding many topics by now. In a way, I suppose I've been running away," he joked with a smile that had no amusement in it. "No more, though. I agree I should tell you some things about my life that will hopefully explain the situation. Before anything else, trust me when I say the demon's not gonna show up just like that, you'll understand why as I explain… Let's see, where do I begin… Hm, ah, I think it will be best to start with the Bijû. You see, the Bijû were…"

**xxOOOxx**

"I was thinking we could try to reach Redcliffe and see what's going on. I know we still need to bring the dwarves on board but we're going to need this Eamon's support if we want to dispute Loghain's on a political level at the Landsmeet. We'll need his troops, too," Neria commented, drumming her fingers against the table as she peered over their map of Ferelden with a pensive look.

Some minutes ago, they had finished a group meeting where Neria had told everyone about the group of Crows Loghain had hired to kill them and the existence of someone close to Loghain supporting them. Although cautious, the group had agreed that with Naruto's abilities, watching out for the Crows would be easier. There had been several opinions about their mysterious benefactor but they realized they could do nothing about it for now. She had also refrained from saying anything about her previous confrontation with Naruto then, since he had told her he'd like to open up to everyone else at his own pace, whenever they asked. She could respect that.

Now, Neria and Alistair were deciding their next course of action.

"I agree but remember what Ser Bryant told in the Lothering Chantry? I'm worried about Eamon, I'd like to see if there's something we can do to help," Alistair nodded but Neria could see he looked conflicted over something. Most likely, he was obsessing over Eamon's situation and the rumors flying around about the mysterious circumstances of the strange sickness affecting him...

"Alright. We still have plenty of supplies from Denerim and quite truthfully, the Tower needs everything they have now. Redcliffe's pretty near the Tower, so we should reach it in three days or so and we'll go from there, I guess."

Pursing his lips, Alistair hesitated for a moment, as he tried to decide how to broach the next subject best. "If we're going to Redcliffe, there's something you should know, just in case it comes up…Well, ah, I don't really know how to say this but… Neria, I…"

However, just before Alistair could reveal whatever secret he had, someone knocked loudly on the door, interrupting him. Going by his face, she wasn't sure if he felt relieved or angry at the interruption.

After getting their permission, a tall, plain-looking man stepped into the room. The only remarkable thing about him was the jagged scar in his chin but he also had a traveling bag with him "Sorry to interrupt, gents. I was told to deliver a package to a guy called Alistair. Some guys pointed the direction to this room… Here," he said, handing him a small wooden box. "Well, and with that I'm off; it's not a good season to be in Ferelden, especially considering what's brewing in the South. Goodbye!"

The two Grey Wardens stared in surprise at the man's retreating back. "What an odd human… didn't even comment on how the interior of the Tower looks," Neria commented after blinking several times. They had been burning the physical manifestation of the demonic corruption in the Tower but there were many spots to cover; he should have seen some in his way. Moreover, something in her gut told her that man was an apostate but she really couldn't be sure.

"What do you think it is? I can't think of someone that would send me anything, especially with how bad everything's going around in Ferelden right now," Alistair said with a thoughtful frown.

"Well, we'll never know unless you open it, don't you think?"

"Alright, alright, no need to get snarky. Let's see…" Seeing no opening, he put a hand on the top of the box and tried to move it, making it slide to a side, revealing a small mirror and a carefully folded piece of parchment.

"A mirror? Why would anyone send you a mirror? I'll admit it's quite pretty with those designs but…"

"Can't you see it?" Alistair laughed. "Whoever sent me this obviously wanted me to appreciate my own beauty! Ha, admire how my blond hair compliments my fair looks of the knight in the shining armor! The ladies swoon as I send them my most dashing smile!"

"Really funny, Alistair," Neria drawled while giving him a deadpan stare, "just make sure your teeth don't have caries. Don't want to scare away the ladies with your most horrifying smile, after all."

"Ouch. Now, that was painful. You have no heart, Neria," he accused, making her laugh.

"I know, I'm taking lessons from Morrigan," she joked, trying to reign in the laughter.

"Hmpf, I actually can believe her coming up with the idea," he grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"What does she do that makes you despise her so much? I mean, you two have been at each other's throat since, well, since the beginning. Basically, before everyone else joined up."

"Well, she's kind of a bitch. A major one. And she seems to think making fun of me is the greatest thing in her life right now, too," he bluntly explained to her. "And she's scary. And an apostate. Really, I still think she's going to whip out a dagger any time and control me through Blood magic!" he dramatically flailed his arms.

"In the unlikely possibility of Morrigan knowing Blood magic, given her sentiments on it, I'm sure she'd use it on you mainly to amuse herself. "

"Of course she would do it for that! Besides, those yellowy eyes of hers give me the creeps, staring at me as if I'm some kind of rabbit in front of a spider… Disturbing, I tell you. If I didn't have the Archdemon in my dreams, she would fill my nightmares," he mumbled.

"… Let's just get back to the package, please."

"Yes, let's," he agreed with a soft mutter as he reached for the letter.

Neria picked up the mirror, examining it with a critical eye. "The mirror is magical, that much I can tell. There are several runes carved into the structural piece. I can't quite tell what they're for, though. It looks like it's about some connection; something related about blood also shows up but I can't decipher it. I don't think it's Blood magic, though. I can't decipher most of the runes; to be honest, they were never my forte. I think that- Alistair, are you even listening to me? Alistair?" Finally looking away from the mirror, her face adopted a concerned look when she saw him having paled considerably; staring unseeing at whatever words had been written in the piece of parchment.

"Alistair, are you okay? Alistair, answer me, you're worrying me!" Neria exclaimed but no luck, the blond man seemed frozen in the spot, irresponsive.

"This… Impossible… they told me… this can't be…" he gasped incoherently as his arms shook from pure shock.

"Alistair, what's going on? What does it say?" Neria urged him as she stood up, ready to help him.

Alistair stood up as well, but he didn't quite register Neria in the room, muttering to himself with a shocked, anguished face. "Lies… this is all lies..." was the last thing he muttered before he bolted for the door, running away from the package sent to him. Neria's pleas for Alistair to calm down and explain what was going on went unanswered.

Feeling numb, the elven mage let herself fall onto the chair once again, staring at the parchment. Whatever was written there, it had been enough to shock her friend to his very core. Should she read it? It certainly would be invading his privacy in a very inconsiderate manner but admittedly, she was far more concerned for his well being, than his feelings about his privacy.

With her mind made up, she reached for the note and started reading, noticing there were several blotches of black ink and many lines scratched enough times that they had become unreadable.

_Dear Alistair,_

_I've wasted many parchments already trying to find the right words to say to you. I think I finally have worked it out, but I'm still unsure of them. Ah, sorry, I'm rambling… you must be wondering who I am… My name is Fiona, I once was a Grey Warden. I say once because of the events that happened several years ago. There was… _

_Damn, sorry again, I should get to the reason I'm sending this to you… Please, I beg you, read everything before you come up with your own conclusions._

_This… is not easy for me to say, even if I'm writing it on a parchment… From what I know, you were told your mother was a human serving maid who died giving you birth. That was a lie; _everything_ they told you about your mother was a lie: I _am _your real mother and you were never the son of a maid! I gave you birth and you… you were the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. I most certainly didn't give Maric the idea to tell you the lie about your mother being a maid!_

_Still… Maric and I chose together your name, Alistair. As you might know, it means man's defender. Your father looked so happy holding you when I introduced you to him… Please, believe me, you never were the result of Maric whoring around; you were born from love, as loosely as I call it due to extenuating circumstances. It just… happened but believe me when I say not even once did I regret having you, my Alistair._

_I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you this now, or why you never knew of my existence… Hell, you must have loads of questions. You might be angry with me as well. I understand if that's the case, I know I would be. Spirits, I have so many things to tell you… Nothing would have made me happier than to raise you but my life is not one meant for a baby. When I had you I was still a Grey Warden. I feared what could happen to you, my life –any Grey Warden's for that matter- was never assured and I could've died any day. Who would have taken care of you, then? _

_Maric is your father; that much you know. He promised me you would at least know one of your parents. However, I saw what kingship did to him, the burden it had become to him. That's why I begged Maric not to openly acknowledge you. I begged him to find a nice family for you, so that you could at least be happy in your life and not have to suffer being analyzed by a whole country if you were widely known to be related to King Maric, the Savior. _

_You would be happy, ignorant of your half-blood status. My elven status brought me nothing put pain in the past and half-bloods are practically strangers to humans and elves alike if their status is know. They are regarded with distrust and hostility from both sides. I never wanted that for you. The reason I'm telling you all this is to explain why I never raised you, Alistair. _

_He… he __promised… he promised me he would do it! Duncan swore he'd watch over you! But then, fifteen years later, Maric disappeared at sea and I heart felt so… so crushed… We were together few times but what we had was… was real. Days after the news of your father's death, I felt the strong urge to see you, to make sure you were safe. I wanted… no, I _needed_ to see you. However, I fully believed he honored his promise to me and I didn't dare to seek you out for fear of upsetting what I assumed was a happy life. _

_It didn't even cross my mind you could be unhappy… I… I should have checked… should have done something… _

_Then, five years after his death, this same year, a Blight has begun. Maric had told us a Blight was coming but we never really believed him. When news of this Blight reached us, I grew scared for you and… I couldn't hold on any longer my urge to seek you out. I asked for the services of a dear friend and he brought me everything he had found about you after a trip to Ferelden gathering information. _

_I… can't express with words how much I wanted to tear apart those humans when I learnt they made you slept in the stables like some kennel boy, like a slave. I wanted to make them pay for mistreating you so much…I wanted to make them bleed, I wanted to make them feel pain... and I never once felt guilty over it. I wanted to harm everyone who'd had a part in mistreating my beautiful boy! I thought Maric would have left you with a nice family but the Guerrins… They… they treated you like a servant! Worse, like a slave! Then… my friend told me the misguided stupidity of this Eamon's wife was enough to send you to the Chantry. I can't really leave my post but were I able, nothing would make me more happy than to make her regret that choice… dearly. I was worried sick for you, I hope you're aware what the templars really are to the Chantry, Alistair… I felt immensely relieved when I heard you never took your vows. _

_Nonetheless, Duncan recruited you. Duncan… He was a good friend to me and later, Maric's as well. Though I never wished for you to live the same way I did as a Grey Warden, compared to what the Chantry would have done to you, I'll grudgingly admit it was the lesser of two evils, at least in my opinion. We know he… fell at Ostagar, along with most of the fereldan branch of the order. From the letters he sent me, you loved him very much. I... I really miss him too, Alistair._

_Fuck, this turned out longer than I expected… Alistair… my son… I can't begin to tell you how guilty I've felt ever since I learned of your life. I always thought you would be happy but I can see now that was wishful thinking. Spirits, you must hate me so much now… I have to fight every day the urge to fly to Ferelden and scour the land for you, Blight or not. I don't know if this letter has helped to explain why I never raised you but there's one thing I'd like to ask from you._

_I only did what I thought was best for you, even if it backfired completely_. _Please, forgive me! Don't hate me, my son, please!_

_You must still have so many questions… If you still wish to talk to me… hear everything else I have to tell you, use the mirror. It works by lineage of blood. I 'marked' it with my blood so if you let some of your drops of your blood touch the mirror, it will be linked to the other one that forms the set. It will allow us to talk to each other, no matter the distance between the mirrors. Five days from the moment you receive this letter, I will try to contact you. If the link between mirrors has been created, they both should heat up when one of us tries to contact the other. I hope you choose to talk with me but… I'll understand if you don't want to. I've had many regrets in my life but I didn't want to die with this one specifically. Regardless of the outcome, I wanted to address you at least once. _

_Even if you decide it's not worth it, know that I never stopped loving you, my son. _

_Fiona_

Numb with shock, Neria carefully folded the parchment, even though her head was swirling with thoughts. Alistair, the illegitimate son of King Maric? Their Alistair? Funny, courageous, whiny Alistair? Unbelievable, but everything seemed to fit. It was almost too much to believe, but the letter felt genuine. The small holes that littered the parchment when this Fiona talked about the Guerrins could be from anger, after all.

Besides which… the kennels? She'd thought he was just joking that time…If everything that this Fiona said about the Guerrins was true, then she certainly wasn't going to sit idly doing nothing about it. Running a hand through her hair, Neria resolutely stood up after pocketing Fiona's letter. Whatever it said was unimportant in that moment, really, because Alistair needed a friend right now and no letter was going to stop her from being just that.

With that in mind, Neria hurriedly left the room, already going through different places he could've run off to.

**xxOOOxx**

Many, many miles away from the Tower, a heavily armored dwarf spat at the ground. "Fucking hell, I think I've got spider slime even in my underpants!" he complained.

"Quit whining, you fat bastard. You should eat less and try to improve your skills for a change," snapped the recon unit leader as he swallowed with a sour look a horrid-tasting piece of ration.

"Bah, we're already dead, no? Let him eat all the rations he wants, they're shit anyway. Those fucktards from Orzammar think they will sleep nice and comfy without cares at night if they think they send us food. Doesn't matter if the food would kill a dead bronto three times over," another dwarf commented moodily before giving his what remained of his rations to the complaining dwarf. He'd been a casteless before being dumped in the Legion and he certainly had no love lost for Orzammar.

The dwarf's comment earned several murmurs of assent. Even their unit leader sighed, knowing it was exactly true. Finishing quickly the abomination parading as food, he stood up. "Well then, little girls, break time is over. We're gonna see what those ugly nug-humpers are up to," he ordered . "Kardol wants to know why the sudden movements and we're gonna deliver!"

The Legion of the Dead were perhaps of the few that knew just how much of a threat were truly the darkspawn. The horde was relentless, their numbers grew each day and they simply didn't care if the one next to them fell, they kept pushing ahead with a vicious single goal. Those in Orzammar were pretty happy merely knowing that the Legion did its task.

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

There were some in the Legion who still fought with the idea of defending the city, even if Orzammar didn't really care for them, just as they hadn't cared about what Kal Sharok would do alone when they sealed the Roads… However, most seemed to gain an edge of understanding after few months of service in the Legion and knew better... if they survived that long, that is.

'_What a bunch of stone-touched idiots. We could be all exterminated in one single battle and they wouldn't even know until the darkspawn swarmed them.'_ Those were the thoughts of Rasgul, the recon unit leader.

Bah, whatever, he had too much on his plate to think about those prissy sissies.

"Let's go, you bunch of ball-less whelps!" Besides, he'd take the Legion of the Dead over Orzammar any day, because this… this was real: the gagging stench of darkspawn corruption, the sweat on your brow whenever there was exertion, the camaraderie with your men… even if they cursed your name out behind your back.

"I heard that, rookie! Do you want to take point?"

"Sir, no, sir!"

"That's better. Alright, here's the situation: we've been noticing lesser amounts of darkspawn around the Roads for some time now, so we decided it would be a good idea to investigate like the little good soldiers we are. You all know what happens when there aren't enough darkspawn to play with in here, I'm sure. We're close to the Dead Trenches, so we'll try to scout the area ahead and see if we can find out anything. Don't worry if you fall off from the ground, since we're all dead here, you won't probably feel a thing," Rasgul laughed. It wasn't a nice laugh.

With some more grumbling, the unit pushed forward. Despite Rasgul's hardass attitude, they weren't a recon unit for nothing. They knew most of the Deep Roads like the palm of their hand and knew how and when to be sneaky and silent. That's why they reached the old city of Bownammar –now the Dead Trenches- in record time.

That's why they were able to see first-hand the army, the endless sea of darkspawn gathered deep down beyond the long bridge. They were also able to see the Archdemon in all its glory when it roared, with all the darkspawn gathered responding to its call. It never saw them, why would it? They were insignificant compared to the tainted beast. The dragon flew off into a hole in the roof of the massive cavern as the army started moving forward.

Rasgul's second-in-command swore under her breath as they stared in slight fear at the sight before their eyes. "Kardol's going to want to know about this. He_ needs_ to know the surface's got a Blight on their hands."

"Fuck, it had to be just after King Endrin kicked the bucket… okay people, we're gonna retreat now… nice and slow," Rasgul ordered softly but just as if he'd tempted fate, several Shrieks appeared surrounding them.

"Shit, heads up, boys and girls! Get them!" Rasgul ordered as he quickly unslung his war-axe.

With the dwarves swiftly reaching for their weapons, the two parties clashed and the fight was on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>So, that ends this interlude.

Next chapter, the party faces Zevran's group and reaches Redcliffe. Aside from that, different groups keep moving their pieces in Thedas…


	14. Show's Over

Another chapter down, many more to go. Thank you those who favorited, followed and reviewed. I only wish more people would review but I know that I can do little to change that.

Many thanks to my beta, AlekTas, for his editing and help with this chapter. This would be even more horrible without him.

You may have noticed that the romance genre has been removed from the tags and the pairing in the characters sheet too. There will/might be romance at some point, but AlekTas and I have been discussing the role romance could/might/should have in this story. We agree that for romance to happen, everything must be taken into account. What does this mean, you'll wonder? It means that the Naruto/Fem!Surana romance may or may not happen. I'll admit that I was perhaps a little hasty on tagging them as pairing ever since the beginning of this story but I realized that it could be entirely possible that, because of their personalities and plot reasons, a romance between them may not happen or get a 'happily ever after' ending.

If you don't like it, I really can't do much to change your mind but I want you all to be understanding of why I'm doing this, at least.

With that out of the way, let's begin.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Neither Naruto nor Dragon Age belong to me.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter thirteen<strong>

**Show's Over**

"But Irving!"

"No buts, Wynne. Please, see reason, your request is disproportionate; you can't go with Neria and her group. You are needed here, much has been lost and we'll need every senior enchanter who has survived if we are to pull through this crisis. The Circle needs you."

"Irving, I don't think you realize that I'm a grown woman. I've been one for many decades now. I can take care of myself if that's your concern," the elderly mage shook her head before crossing her arms in stubborn defiance. "Besides, the Circle will do fine without me, you are here."

Irving frowned, a clear look of disappointment written on his face. "You surprise me, Wynne; you are not seeing the bigger picture here. Have you not seen the devastation Uldred brought about? Corpses of abominations and mages alike strewn around on the floors, and that's not counting the bodies of the dead templars. We're no more than several dozens whereas we counted around a little more than two hundreds before! Are you so callous that you would simply ignore all that when we face our worst crisis in decades, perhaps more?" Irving questioned with a chilling voice.

"If the Blight isn't stopped, those who survived Uldred's madness would have done so just to fall at the savagery of the darkspawn! I was in Ostagar, I've seen what they do. I just can't sit back and do nothing when I know what's coming," she argued but Irving stood up, clearly agitated.

"Believe me, I am _perfectly _aware of the pervaded nature of the darkspawn existence, I've seen it long before you were in Ostagar," he remarked giving her a warning glare.

"You did?" Wynne's clearly baffled response held up whatever Irving was going to say next as he adopted a faraway look.

"Of course, how else would you explain my friendship with Duncan? It's true I never explained it but I thought anyone could draw a few guesses. But I digress… as I said, I can't and won't allow your request."

"But why not? I'm one of the best in the Circle, you know I am. I have the experience and the skills for this."

"Precisely because of that I'm denying your request, you are too important to wander around Ferelden. I have already said so." Wynne's stubborn insistence was beginning to grate on Irving's nerves and it showed.

"You are being unreasonable, Irving. I can…" However, before she could elaborate, Wynne was interrupted by a small cough, which drew their attention to Neria, sitting in a chair next to them.

"I do believe that I should participate actively in this conversation, seeing as I'm the de facto leader of our little group," she stated with a pointed look but Wynne simply waved dismissively at the notion.

"Yes, of course, dear. However, Irving should…"

"Oh, but I _insist._ Don't ignore my words so quickly, I'm not the little girl you used to scold anymore. As I see it, it's quite easy: you simply can't expect to join us like that as if you didn't even need permission. Funny thing that though, this is the first time I hear about this and only because Irving told me to come," she commented, raising an eyebrow at Wynne, who had the decency to flush in slight embarrassment.

"Yes, well-" To be honest, Wynne hadn't even thought Neria refusing her help to be an actual possibility and had therefore not deigned necessary telling her about it. After all, someone would have to step up into the role of healer.

"Moreover, do you really expect us to let you come? I mean, no offense, but you're not getting any younger and we're not exactly on a field trip to the nearest town." Neria was perfectly aware she was being more than a bit rude with that comment about her age but truthfully, with the annoyance Wynne was building up with the whole situation, she couldn't quite shake off the satisfaction her words brought. "Apart from that, Irving said basically everything that needed to be said. The survivors are going to need a guidance that templars can't give and that guidance is yours, Irving's and any of the more senior Enchanters that have survived. You simply can't drop this situation _that_ easily, as if you were running away from it," she said and if there was the slightest tone of condemnation in her voice, no one could blame her. However, Wynne's face immediately tightened in indignation at the bold accusation.

"Now, you see here, young girl…"

"No, you see here! I just learned five minutes ago that you were going to join us to stop the Blight disregarding completely our opinions. Normally, I'd be all up for letting you come, you're a very powerful healer and you certainly would be a huge help. However_,_ you went behind everyone's back and I think you only let Irving know because you _needed_ his explicit permission to leave, despite your long service in the Circle. That didn't amuse me in the least but what pisses me off the most is that you're perfectly willing to leave the Circle when the templars would be all too willing to put everyone to the sword weren't it for Greagoir's more… moderate stance," Neria hissed through gritted teeth as if the admission was painful for her to say out loud. "What about all the children who survived? You'd leave them here, traumatized and mentally scarred by the things they've seen, while the templars will certainly be more prone to violence due to everything that has happened! You can't seriously expect me to accept," she scoffed with clear hostility.

Breathing deeply, Irving and Neria could see Wynne trying to refrain herself from getting into the confrontation. "I can see where you're coming from, I really do, but as I said, the Blight takes precedence. If we don't stop the Blight, we all will die! You need help." They could easily see the hard time she was having keeping the conciliatory tone in her voice, trying not to rise to Neria's accusations.

Neria nodded reluctantly; that much was right. Thankfully, that situation had solved itself quite by chance hours ago. "True. However, you'll be pleased to know that Solana approached me some hours before with the same concern. She told me she wanted to help us against the Blight and after some consideration with several of my companions, I agreed. Her abilities will be of a great help but they are also one of the reasons I'm not going to let you come with us, too. Your abilities lie in the same School but hers are just a little more widespread. Besides, she doesn't inspire as much morale and respect as you do among the other mages since she hasn't been in the Fereldan Circle all her life like you," she explained before glancing at Irving, who was looking at the whole scene entirely too amused in an irritated sort of way. "That's the reason I wanted to talk with you, by the way. I was going to let you know she was coming with us, so the templars wouldn't cause a stink."

"Your arguments are sound Neria, and I don't see a reason to oppose it; I officially give her leave to accompany you in your efforts against the Blight. Just watch after her and make sure she survives, I don't want to lose anymore of my young charges… The same goes for you, too. Oh and before I forget, Leorah wanted to talk with you, although she didn't tell me about what," he informed her with a smile. "You should see what she wants before turning in for the night."

"I'll do just that, then. Thanks Irving, good night."

Leaving Irving's office, she still could hear them arguing about Wynne's request. Shaking her head with amusement, she went to find Leorah. She just hoped it didn't take long whatever she wanted to talk to her about, they left tomorrow and she had to get some rest for the journey, enjoy the last day of a warm bed for several days.

'_Hopefully, we'll be able to get that comfort again in Redcliffe.'_

**xxOOOxx**

The knocking on the door was the only thing that brought him away from the report he'd been balefully reading for the last fifteen minutes. As it was, his answer was sharper than usual, something which the newbies always associated quickly to a bad omens for them. "Enter."

Thankfully for her, the newcomer could be called anything but a rookie. "Is there something you needed so late?"

"Christiën," she greeted, giving him a nod. The woman carried her staff with her, just like she'd always done since she'd joined the Wardens. She'd always told him it was a very subtle way to express her own freedom as a mage, not afraid to show to the world what she was. "How is the work going?"

The High Constable snorted, reaching for the bottle of liquor placed on the desk. "Look for yourself," he scowled in disgust, passing over the piece of paper.

Reading through the report, the female elf grew increasingly disbelieving while Christiën silently filled a glass. Finally, the elf looked to him. "Emric can't be serious about this, is he really that much of a fool? I knew it! I knew he was dropped on the floor when he was that ugly-looking baby of the portrait! He can't possibly think this is a good idea!" She groaned, waving the paper in disgust.

"You're telling me nothing I don't know already, Maker knows I have to deal with him on a daily basis. The world is going to the Void bit by bit and he just acts as if Anderfels was a playground for his little politicking games," he growled, giving him a terrifying appearance.

"Don't let him catch you drinking on the job, then," the elf said, reluctantly amused despite the circumstances. "You know how strung up he gets with that."

"Bah, we both know he's too busy licking the boots of our grand king Marius the Ponce to even bother with such things, Fiona. The rural Anderfels might be the last region where we're openly looked up to and sought after for counsel but Emric is a fool. If he's exposed by the right people, Weisshaupt could turn into a solitary fortress deep into hostile territory. Does he really think the entire thing is not going to blow up on his face? Toiling the line like he does will become fatal sooner or later," Christiën raved in anger before downing the liquid in one go. "Fuck, I miss the Wandering Hills. Everything was so much simpler there."

Fiona only snorted loudly in agreement before falling silent. Seeing as he didn't get a verbal response out of her, the Orth man sighed before pouring himself another shot, taking the chance to inspect her.

Time had been mostly forgiving on the petite elven mage. She was now in her mid-forties and there were only a few canes in her mane of dark hair to show the early signs of a graying hair. She had some wrinkles here and there, of course, but he certainly wasn't going to point that out loud, he wasn't that eager to be emasculated. Her brown eyes were as lively as ever, though.

"Anyway, onto business. So, have you sent all the messages?"

"… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't worry; the office is protected from being spied on. One can never be too careful," Christiën assured her.

"I'll trust you on that, then… Anyway, yes, Kilina's was the first I sent actually. After that, I sent the note to everyone who was in the list you gave me. However, I can't send one to Riordan," she stated.

That immediately got Christiën's attention. "What? Why not?"

"I would have told you earlier if you hadn't waved me away so rudely the other day when you were feeling cranky because of your ancient age," Fiona huffed. "As it is, Riordan was sent by the Orlesian Commander to Ferelden in order to find out everything that happened at Ostagar and that was after a contingent of Wardens and chevaliers being told to fuck off at the border. They lost contact with him shortly after passing the border," she explained.

"I didn't miss that remark about my age, you know," he dryly remarked. Still, I'd have never thought that Gaspard had it in him to do that… However it is, we're not in a position that would allow us to investigate what happened to him right now without interferences. Riordan is a crafty old bastard though and was a friend of Duncan. I'm pretty sure he's still alive but it seems we'll have to do without him for now. Fuck, between Loghain and Emric, Ferelden is going to turn into a breeding ground for darkspawn pretty quickly if those two don't do something about it," Christiën grunted, missing Fiona's slight stiffening of her body. "Even so, did you put everything needed in the letters?"

Quickly regaining her bearings, Fiona huffed again, feeling slightly annoyed at Christiën's tendency to keep everything checked. "Please, who do you take me for, of course I did! And before you ask, _yes, _I took proper measures to ensure they couldn't be tracked down or intercepted_. _We'll meet up in with the others in two weeks from now at the agreed upon location and decide on our course of action there."

"Good, good... We've got to be careful, we're playing with fire here and you know what happens to those who do that. We're going to need every advantage we can get if we're to oust our esteemed leader… Well, go on and make all the needed preparations," he said, to which Fiona merely rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, no need to boot me out so quickly. I know you need your sleep after that incident in Marius' court but really…"

"How many times do I have to say that I didn't fell asleep on that useless council meeting? I did it on purpose to annoy Emric and the other Ministers! I was acting! Really, I still don't understand why he thought that bringing me along was a good idea!" His aggravated voice was all she needed to know she'd gotten under his skin.

"Yeah, sure, keep telling me that bullshit," she laughed. "I'm sure if you keep telling yourself that enough times it just might become true."

"Ugh, just get out of here," he growled, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation.

Still laughing softly, Fiona stepped outside Christiën's office before drawing on her mana. The nocturne air in the Anderfels was as chilly as ever but an ingenious application of a simple fire spell did wonders to keep oneself warm enough. It didn't heat the robes per se, but rather the closest air around the mage without reaching a level truly uncomfortable. It was amazing just how many mages hadn't even thought of it whenever she asked but perhaps it just was that she'd had to come up with such survival-oriented solution because of sheer necessity at some point.

Walking purposefully, she went into the opposite direction of her own sleeping room without as much as a glance. Not long after, she reached a door with an ornate engraving of a rampant griffon. For a moment she stood there, eyes closed, before breathing deeply and stepping into the room after knocking on the door.

Eyes crinkling in barely hidden glee, the man behind the desk gestured to the chair in front of it. "Oh? Is there something I could do for you, my dear?"

With a little smirk of anticipation, she nodded. "I thought you might be… incredibly interested in the information I just confirmed to be true, First Warden."

**xxOOOxx**

"Wait, so you're telling me in your homeland basically the only way to make a name for yourself is to become a… how did you put it, a ninja?"

"More or less, yeah. It's way more complicated than that, of course, but that's the gist of it. I met many famous ninja during my childhood, you know. Some were friends and comrades, others were… well, enemies, obviously."

"Man, seeing the things you can do, these Elemental Nations must be one crazy place. Everything really sounds amazing," Lyrian grinned. Marcus, who was walking alongside her, nodded thoughtfully while he kept on playing fetch with his beloved Brinna using a small stick.

"It sure does but keep in mind that it was-, is a very dangerous place. Not everything was rainbows and roses back there, you know."

"Yeah, I know, you've told us about those villages. I mean, it all just sounds so… crazy!"

"Foreign would be the appropriate word, Lyrian," Marcus told her with slight shake of his head. "Remember that from what Naruto has told us, their culture is completely different from the ones found in Thedas. It's expected it would shock you, that's called culture clash… I think," he whispered with a suddenly far away expression which quickly went back to normal after a moment when Brinna affectionately rubbed her head against his legs. "Still, as you say, it really sounds interesting. I wonder if we'd be able to go there and learn about new cultures and stuff after the Blight is ended."

Naruto nodded to Marcus' words, purposefully not commenting on his last statement. It was highly improbable, but he wasn't eager to open that particular can of worms so soon. Still, it was still a little weird to him that he was travelling with an actual noble even after all the adventures from his original world. Then again, most Daimyos hadn't left a good impression on him whenever he met one. Of course, they weren't all self-entitled morons but those Daimyos he'd called friends like Koyuki or Haruna were sadly more like the exception to the rule. At least, as far as the nobles from the Elemental Nations were concerned but he couldn't say that it had been that much different in Thedas. Of those he'd known, some were good, some were bad.

"You can always ask me if you want to know more. I don't mind," he assured them with a thumbs up gesture. If he was to be honest with himself, letting them in like this wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be. Granted, he wasn't going to drop on them any of the more important stuff regarding his life any time soon, but he didn't really feel as if it would never happen anymore… Of course, as it stood, Neria still got a first pass to that information, but that was kind of expected after their confrontation in the Tower.

He still didn't feel comfortable with Leliana's questions though, and even knowing that, he'd recklessly agreed to talk to her later. _'I just hope I can survive the onslaught of questions,'_ he snorted with amusement as he looked at her playing with Fang. If he hadn't seen her accuracy with a bow and her deadly ability with a dagger, he'd have never suspected her of being a deadly fighter. Neria commented once she was a bard… perhaps he'd ask her what did that mean later during their chat. No priest was given the weapons training she showed, that much was obvious.

However, the delightfully bitter irony that he'd been avoiding her questions about Andraste –and many others, being completely honest- just like Old Man Sarutobi had done with him when he was a little runt wasn't entirely lost on him. Knowing how much it frustrated him back then, he now could easily imagine how Leliana might be feeling while the answers to questions no one had ever had the chance to solve were in the head of one of the individuals she travelled with. Still, would he really be doing her a favor if he told her everything he knew? Somehow, he doubted it.

"Hey, guys." The three looked at Neria as she joined them. "I just checked the map, we should reach Redcliffe tomorrow morning, give or take."

"That _is _good. Our stay with the mages spoiled me, I miss a warm bed already," Lyrian complained with a pout.

Marcus chuckled softly at her remark but turned to their leader. "Everything alright with Alistair? You two were… arguing before," he tentatively prodded, to which she winced.

"Yeah, I guess we should've had that conversation somewhere else. It's something that came up regarding Alistair himself. Don't worry, it's not something you need to worry about, it's Alistair's business and I only got to know about it because it happened just when we were discussing our next course of action. I'd ask you don't annoy him with questions…" she trailed off, frowning with slight hesitation. "It's not… something he expected and not entirely pleasant. He still needs to sort it out. Anyway, have your clones seen anything suspicious ahead, Naruto?"

"If you're asking for these Crows, then no, not yet. There's a small forest ahead so if they are going to attack us before we reach Redcliffe it's going to be there. I was thinking that perhaps- wait…" Naruto suddenly stopped, trailing off. Blinking, he addressed his companions. "One of my clones might just have spotted them; there are about eleven people up ahead… and I think one of them is a mage, at the very least. They seem too well equipped to be simple bandits, they're likely our Crows."

"Anything else you can tell us?" Neria asked, her face crunching into a worried look when Naruto grimaced noticeably.

"Yeah and they're bad news. They've got a damned good ambush spot set up in a chokepoint," he mused, scratching his head while going through different courses of action. "They don't seem to know where we are, though. Is there a way to get around them?"

"It's really scary when he does that thing with those clones," Lyrian whispered conspiratorially to Marcus.

"Tell me about it. Even if it has its uses, it_ is_ creepy," the noble agreed before speaking up. "I don't think so, the reason they picked up that forest is because it's practically the only way to get to Redcliffe quickly and safely. At one end of the forest there's a huge field full of chasms and jagged rocks; few can go through that, never mind a big wagon like the one the dwarves accompanying us have. The other end is Lake Calenhad and there are no settlements near this area if my geography's correct."

"Shit, I can see why they would choose the forest now… Okay. Neria, I'm going ahead to deal with them. I think I'd like a chance to keep up my abilities and I want to stretch my legs a bit," he told her.

"Are you sure that's wise, Naruto? We won't be able to back you if you run off like that and end up needing help," warned a worried Neria but he just laughed it off.

"I've fought in two wars already Neria, you worry too much. From what I've seen in my clone's memories, they are quite the professional guys but I've got the element of surprise on my side and if used well, it's devastating. If you haven't arrived by the time I'm done, I'll wait for you guys just outside the forest," he told them before sprinting off to Morrigan, Solana and Sten, who were at the head of the group. He'd exchanged a few words with them, likely to inform them about the Crows, before going full speed forward.

"Maker, he just… became a blur and disappeared. That's insane! How fast is he really?"Marcus muttered in utter disbelief while Lyrian just uttered a low "Cool" under her breath."Does he do this often?"

"Less than I expected but more than I'd like. He likes to show off from time to time but then again, it's not like I could stop him," Neria admitted, staring at the last spot she'd seen him. "To be honest, he was mostly passive in the Tower apart from the last fights. I'm not really that surprised he wants to blow off some steam," she guessed with a sigh.

"But _what if_ he actually gets injured? Aren't you worried for him?"

Marcus noticed the slight hesitation in Neria before she answered resolutely. "… He's my friend, of course, I'm worried... but not for the same reasons you think," she whispered once Marcus had refocused his attention to whatever Lyrian was saying.

**xxOOOxx**

In no time, Naruto found himself perched on a branch next to one of his clones, looking down at the group of assassins below. "Have any of them seen you?"

"Nope. They're good but not _that _good. We're about twenty, thirty meters from the ground, I'd say. There's no way one of them is able to climb so high and willing to do so without chakra. We're safe here, boss."

"Good," he mused as he sat down and let his feet dangle in the air. "Do you know what their plan is?"

"Yeah, one of us snuck on in and listened on their conversations. That Cloak of Invisibility jutsu Jiraiya taught us-you- was really handy, they were none the wiser. A little pathetic if you ask me."

"Whatever… So minion, what did they talk about?"

"Already with the minion stuff? Not cool, man," the clone whined but quailed under Naruto's annoyed glare. "Jeez, okay, no need to bite my head off. I don't want to disappear so soon. Okay, so… see that tree? No, not that one, the tree next to it. Yeah, that one, so it seems they cut and weakened the trunk enough that it will fall down, given the right push."

"I see… The tree is just next to the path, they must be aiming the cut off the group after they pass. The ground narrows inwards after that to form the chokepoint and those two mountain elevations are something tricky. I have to say, those guys got one nasty spot to prepare their hit."

"Luckily for us, we're not what one would consider normal around these parts," the clone chuckled, his eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"True. What else did you see?"

"They set up several traps in the chokepoint, large claw ones if I'm not mistaken… which I'm not, obviously, since I'm awesome."

"Focus, idiot. Don't make me throw you down there."

"Tsk, no fun at all… Well, I think that's all. You already know about the mage, but she shouldn't be trouble at all and I don't think there are more. There are several archers and crossbow users; they're supposed to snipe at the group from those two small elevations while they try to go through the chokepoint. It's one neat ambush but considering who they're dealing with, they're going to come up short."

"To be fair, they don't know that. They just think it's gonna be a more or less normal group, not a super powered guy. Hell, I shouldn't even exist in this place."

The clone grinned as he started giggling rather creepily. "Too bad they got us, instead. Talk about bad luck. It's gonna be awesome."

Naruto grimaced at his clone's antics but tried to ignore it. "Riight… What about the leader?"

"That's the elf with the tattoos and blond-ish hair. Leather armor and double wielding. I'd say he seems to be pretty good… for their standards," the clone helpfully supplied. "Still, who'd go around with armor like that? Look at that chick with the same type of armor, she's got a huge pair alright but I could hit the cleavage window from here with one of these shitty daggers these guys use hanging from a branch upside down and one arm tied to my back. Seriously, it's supposed to be armor and I could have her choking on her own blood with only a swipe of my hand… Well, the view makes it up for it, I guess," he chuckled lecherously.

Naruto closed his eyes, already dreading what memories he'd receive as soon as he dispelled the clone. "I see you got the perverted streak from Jiraiya…"

"I'm sorry, did you say something? I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am."

"Right. I'm just… going down to give my greetings," Naruto said as he stood up, ignoring his clone's madness.

"Have fun with the slaughter, boss," the clone wished cheerily before disappearing along with all the other clones. After the rush of information was done, he knew everything he'd been told as if he'd been the one watching. "That bastard… he dispelled on purpose, I just know it…" he growled with annoyance as images and thoughts completely centered about that woman in particular entered his mind. They weren't exactly subtle, either.

Putting his clones' weirdness aside, he allowed a small grin to show up on his face. "Still… now that I'm here, it'd be a shame if I didn't mess with their minds a little… Guess it's play time, then."

**xxOOOxx**

"Ahh, I miss Denerim already…"

"You mean, you miss The Pearl. Well, the whores, if you're getting technical," the guy next to him deadpanned.

"My, that's just crass, I prefer to consider myself a connoisseur of women, you see. But before we're engaged in harsh battle, tell me… what was your name again? I can't quite remember. You see, I was a little busy fucking that beautiful and gifted redhead, to be honest," he told him with a grin. He always thought it funny how worked up he became over the simplest things.

"… Ugh, I hate you, Zevran." The elf just laughed it off while some of the others joined in.

"Fun aside, do we have everything ready?"

"We do. The plan is pretty good, I think we can pull this off," the mage said. He'd already sampled the goods, of course, and he had to say she was pretty good at it. His fellow blonde was quite kinky in bed, which was always a plus in his book, of course. He'd never seen a mage apply their powers in such… creative manners before.

"Alright, we have everything ready. When they appear, you'll go and give them some bullshit about being attacked. Be sure to put on the helpless civilian look," he reminded her with a laugh. "Don't make the traps go off on your way."

"Hey, I also want something to do. It's no fun sitting around just talking," an unknown voice whined, coming from their left. The group turned to its direction and they found a blond sitting next to Jetler, who had a dagger through his throat. Reacting quickly everyone jumped to their feet and drew their weapons but the stranger simply grinned mischievously at them before munching on an apple. "Yo. I asked this guy if he'd let me have this apple in exchange for my dagger but he was no fun, he just kept choking on it. Hahah, get it? He was choking on it!" the guy said, laughing uproariously at his own stupid joke.

Zevran, of course, kept his cool. He hadn't gotten to where he was now by reacting recklessly to whatever unexpected that happened on his jobs… most of the time, at least. "You do realize there is a group of at least seven individuals with their bows and crossbows trained on you, right? If you move so much a muscle, you'll have the honor of being turned into a pincushion. A pretty one at that, of course," the elf cheerfully told him as he eyed his fellow blond.

"Huh, never tried to become a pincushion before. Should try it out sometime, but… not today, I'm afraid," he grinned before disappearing completely from their sights.

"What the-" an archer muttered before shooting his arrow to where the guy had been, soaring through the air until it embedded into a tree. There was no body to hit. "How the hell did he do that?! Nobody can't move that fast!"

"I didn't feel a drop of magic on him! I felt… something, but that was definitely not magic," the mage warned the others with a shocked look.

"Shit. All of you, keep a sharp eye; make sure everyone is looking at one direction to cover everywhere!"

"I wanna play a game… Let's see how long it takes for you all to die. Do try to stay alive for a while," laughed the stranger. His voice echoed all around them, adding to the thickening tension permeating the air.

However, as unnerving as the crazy guy was, they weren't Crows for nothing. "Steady, don't let his mindgames fool you," Zevran advised the others. "Let's see what he comes up with. We don't know what he can do, consider him an unknown threat."

"Being careful is a good sign of being a survivor… Too bad it won't help you! Today is the day of your appointment with the Maker!" the wind carried the madman's voice around them.

For several minutes, nothing happened but they all could feel an ominous presence, a light choking sensation on their throats like the ghost of a hand coiling around their necks. They grew increasingly restless as they nervously shifted their eyes around. It would only take a small push for the dam to break.

The next death came from below, in a single second. One moment, one of the archers was there standing in front in Zevran and a second later, he'd disappeared below the ground, which closed after him. The others only heard his anguished scream for a brief moment before it was abruptly cut off.

"Shit, shitty shit! Maker, who's this guy?!" One of them screamed in fright before running off. "Screw the contract! I'm outta here!"

Sadly for him, the Crows had a clear policy against turncoats. One of the archers lined up the shot to deal with the coward but before he could let loose the arrow, another dagger was imbedded into the traitor's skull. "No, no, no! The game's not fun at all if you run off," the voice came again. This time, he was using a childish tone… mocking them, no doubt.

Zevran could see the others were becoming increasingly skittish and fearful with each time the guy spoke and mindful of where he was, he suppressed a sigh. Crows were supposed to be a fearsome entity for their skill in their job. Antiva would simply fall were they to disappear; they were a jealous husband's best friend or a treacherous noble's trusted dagger. They were the best… or supposed to, because Zevran couldn't deny that those accompanying him weren't exactly la crème de la crème of the Crows, after all.

"Poor, poor birdies. Oh, whatever will I do with you?"

"Bi- birdies, he knows who we are! He _knew_ we were here," one of the crossbows users muttered as he nervously scanned their surroundings. Truthfully, Zevran was surprised that he still could do that; the guy was short of shitting himself. "That bastard… he must have hired us just to set us up!" he growled before whirling around in fright at the sound of rustling leaves behind him.

Kerren shook his head, however. "Unlikely. He would have no purpose to do so, he'd still have the Wardens to deal with." Zevran found that a reasonable argument but they still had to deal with this unknown.

"Who else would it be if not him? No one apart from him and the Crows know we're here and I don't think the Crows would send someone to kill us just like that!" The twitchy guy argued heatedly.

"Don't be an idiot. You should know by now that information is a trade in and of itself. Someone always knows things they shouldn't out there. It's just business, just like we deal in death," Zevran softly chided him with a frown.

"How very astute of you, my dear elf! That must be your experience talking, hmm? Then again, loose lips are always the deadliest ones in your trade! It must have happened to you more than once," Naruto laughed from his perch high above the ground. The twitchy guy had fired a bolt in fright as soon as he'd spoken but he was already gone from there.

"_Crows_…" he purred delightedly. "They have been seen many times as bad omens of death…" His last word was punctuated when another Crow fell to the ground, his head bent in an unnatural way, the nearest one to him. "But now… I only see a bunch of bandits thinking they are hotshots because they are part of something-"

He was interrupted by a panicked voice calling out to him. "Look! Who-whoever you are, just let us go, we'll tell you anything you want to know, okay?!"

Unfortunately for the guy, at least one of his compatriots still thought themselves far too loyal to the Crows and their employer to accept this. With a twang, a crossbow bolt stuck itself inside the head of the man who tried to give up, piercing both the little protection the armored helm gave and the skull.

Naruto recognized the man, it was the same one who would have killed the other guy had he not done it faster. There was no loyalty whatsoever to each other, Naruto thought as he stared at the guy with a distasteful glare. He just killed one of his supposed comrades like it had been no big deal. In his mind, this was one of the reasons he saw Shinobi as far better than these… Crows. Not just because of their natural superiority of their abilities but because of the mentality as well. He'd met plenty of deranged lunatics who reveled in killing in the Elemental Nations, but the true Shinobi –at least, the ones he grew up with were also there for each other. They were the protectors of the village and they had the back of their comrades. The Crows were just an over glorified, organized band of assassins and overall scum with no real bonds between them. They were all… tools to use and throw away.

'_You may be right… a shinobi is still a human… we may not be able to become emotionless tools…'_ Naruto closed his eyes as Zabuza's words from so long ago echoed in his mind. "With bonds… one would not become an emotionless tool…" he murmured to himself, growing inexplicably angry at the group.

"You shouldn't have done that. He might have known something," he softly called out, testing them. Those who were still alive stiffened and warily looked at each other. He could see it in their faces; they would sell out the others in exchange for their lives if given the chance. That only sealed their fate. "You really shouldn't have done that," he repeated and this time there was the coldness of death in his voice.

The attack only took two seals to form. A bolt of lightning struck the man who callously killed his fellow Crow, making him scream in pure agony. The others were stuck in their places in terrified shock as the lightning raced through his body, frying everything inside him. With a silent snarl, Naruto applied more pressure and let it explode, making sure that it didn't touch the others. He wanted them to see, to feel fear. The body, if it still could be called that, was a charred thing with a vaguely humanoid shape. The head was mostly recognizable in shape but the eye sockets were empty and there was a disturbing liquid of grayish color around his ears. The stench of fried flesh made one of the others throw up.

"T-that wasn't magic but…" the mage stammered wide-eyed, "A demon! It- it must be a demon! It has to be!" she cried out, frantically drawing out her staff.

High on his perch, Naruto couldn't help the involuntary flinch when he heard her terrified assumption. That was the second time this week he'd been called that, and it still stung more than he'd like to admit. Perhaps… perhaps he'd taken things too far? It wasn't like him to play with people like this, right? Now that he thought on it, he… he'd really taken enjoyment in their fear, hadn't he? The realization made him feel like throwing up.

"**Oh, Naruto… but you **_**do**_** enjoy it," **a voice in the back of his mind whispered in a comforting tone that almost sounded seductive to his ears. **"It makes your blood sing knowing that whatever they try, there is no hope for them because you are just so much **_**better**_** than them. You are above them in every way, and you **_**love**_** it," **the voice purred. **"Why lock away your true instincts? They're part of what you are, you revel in this and you know it. Just like I will always be with you now, why deny our existence? You could be so **_**much**_** more… Together we could build anything we wanted, achieve wonders no one would even had the slightest idea about… We alone could reshape the waking plane! They'd know fear again through the nightmares that lurk in the shadows of this world, nightmares they have forgotten and we could lead the world against them, ushering a new era. Together," **she whispered breathlessly.

"**Don't you see? **_**Nobody**_** can truly understand you like I do. I've been here for centuries, with you. You think hat little thing of a mage could accept you? She's… interesting yes, but she's scared of you and we both know it. Ever since she discovered of my existence she's wary of you. She wants to trust, yet she can't help but be on her guard around you, tiptoeing around the real issues… Would you tell her all the lives you've taken in your few years of existence, tell her every morally ambiguous decision you've taken? Would she still accept you or would her eyes show terror when looking upon you, I wonder? But I still understand you, Naruto and you don't need to be scared near me, because I know your deepest secrets and I accept **_**everything**_** you are: the man and the monster. At your weakest, only I will be there to comfort you. At your strongest, you will only know with certainty my pride and congratulations for you. You fear and revile me without motive as I have never given you a reason to do so. Remember this, Naruto: I only have your best interest in mind." **

_'Then leave me alone. That's what I want.'_

**"Now, now, Naruto. Where would be the fun in that?"**

Naruto only shuddered, forcing himself to calm down, not even deigning to answer her cooed words and promises. He _really_ needed to get around reinforcing the seal. He spawned several clones. "You already know what to do," he told them curtly, only stopping to give them one dagger each before disappearing into the trees.

Meanwhile, below at ground level, Zevran couldn't keep a small grim smile out of his face. Whoever the blond guy was, he certainly was good, too good for them and he didn't delude himself with his chances of getting out of the forest alive. Or whatever he was, really, because no normal man could move that fast. That lightning hadn't been created through normal ways either; their mage had already said that wasn't a magic spell.

Every little sound in the forest became a deafening noise, everyone holding their breaths for whatever would happen next. A cracking wood there, heavy rustling of leaves in the opposite direction just mere seconds later… he was playing with them in a psychological level and he was doing it masterfully. Blinking, he realized just what was going to happen and cursing loudly, he quickly dove for the corpse that was still usable. Ignoring the slippery feel of blood on his hands, he placed the dead weight on top of him and curled on himself as best as he could just as the volley of death began.

His timely reaction saved him, but everyone else wasn't so lucky. The whistling of projectiles didn't seem to end and his ears could pick the squelching sounds whenever one of them struck a body… the screams reached his ears too, of course.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity to him, the deadly rain stopped. Cautiously, he pushed the body off him; at least it served one last use after his death. Looking at the bodies, he didn't see anyone else alive and unscathed. Some almost looked like macabre pincushions from the number of daggers in their bodies but the daggers were too thick to even attempt to pass as spikes… the blood pooling around didn't help, either. Good thing he'd already seen worse, or he'd be emptying his stomach of his meager lunch. A pained whimper from behind him drew his attention and he was mildly surprised to see the blonde mage on the ground, with several daggers on her arms and bleeding quite badly, but very much alive.

"You're alive…" Darn, what was her name again? He decided to just take a stab in the dark. "Alana?"

"Ugh… no thanks to anyone else. I was lucky to raise a shield as soon as you got to the body. It didn't last through everything but at least I didn't get a dagger to the head," she tried to grunt with anger but it came off as pitiful whimpering. Still, he had to give it to her, she removed all the weapons from her arms without asking for help. Seeing as she didn't say anything, he must've guessed her name right. Huh, lucky.

She would never know whatever he'd have said next because just then heavy footsteps announced the arrival of their mysterious hunter. He didn't look like a crazed, giggling madman anymore. Instead, his face was completely emotionless as he stood above them, looming down on them as judge, jury and executioner. Before, he'd been disturbingly unsettling but now… now he looked all the more terrifying, if that was even possible. Alana shrunk on herself as much as she could with her injuries. She was clearly terrified of the stranger. Zevran had never considered himself really faithful to the Maker or the Dalish gods but trying to mentally curry some favor now with them sounded really good…

"Show's over, goldilocks."

"So it seems…" he began as he gave the guy a charming smile. Perhaps he could win him over... "What did you want to know?"

**xxOOOxx**

Neria and everyone else reached the forest and Naruto's spot at some point after half an hour had passed from the small skirmish. They all looked ready to go into battle, with their weapons at the ready and thus, were understandably thrown off the loop when they saw Naruto already cleaning his daggers in a small hole filled with water.

"Naruto, we saw the lightning! We rushed as much as we could… but I see you didn't need any help."

"Nope. I dealt with them, no problems. I got useful information from them, though. From what it seems, the Crows are led by individuals they call Masters; one of these accepted the contract on us. However, if a Master isn't able to finish the contract, another Master could take it up. So, it's not completely assured but we could run into more Crows at some point," he explained while he kept washing away the blood from the weapons.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, I guess. I doubt they'd be able to send another group so soon, anyway. What's important for now is that Naruto managed to deal with these ones. Cheers," Lyrian shrugged with a grin, to which both mabaris agreed with powerful barks.

"Lyrian's right, no sense in worrying about this so soon. Anyway, did you get hurt somewhere, Naruto? I'm not Wynne but I know my tricks at healing," Solana asked as she approached him.

"Don't worry, I never engaged in direct confrontation. I simply dealt with them one by one from a distance. Thanks for the concern, though," he nodded at her, to which she just smiled.

"It's my job, Naruto. Anything you need, you only have to ask," she assured him.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

"Well, this _is_ interesting…" They both turned to Morrigan, who'd been inspecting one of the bodies. "You certainly didn't pull your punches with them, Uzumaki. Using that lightning attack did a number on this fool," she commented with a slight amount of amused approval in her voice. "I find myself curious, however. I wouldn't be opposed to an… exchange of experiences in regards to our talents," she commented to him with a small smile.

"You do know that our talents, as you put it, are completely exclusive from each other, right?"

"So I hear. Still, such an opportunity shouldn't be foolishly squandered," she insisted with an intense look. '_Maker knows what's going on in that head of hers…' _Solana thought with a deadpan expression.

"Sure, I guess," he said, ignoring Alistair's muttering about giving more power to a psycho bitch. The look she gave him was enough to shut him up, at least for some time.

"Excellent." Morrigan looked unusually pleased about the whole thing but the others preferred not to ask.

Sneaking a glance at Sten, Solana could've sworn he looked slightly sterner than he usually was. It was always hard to say with the emotionless look he regularly sported. From what she knew about Qunari, he probably thought that Naruto was merely a mage in all but name, just like the others. In all honesty, she sometimes still had trouble thinking of him as a non-mage, too.

"We should probably get going. We still have to reach Redcliffe," Marcus commented as he watched over Brinna to make sure she didn't wander too close to the corpses. He knew she wouldn't but just in case.

Neria nodded. "As soon Leliana arrives with Bodahn and Sandal we'll set off again. You should rest a bit, Naruto," she advised before sitting on a rock and pulling a black tome with a tree on the cover out of her bag, taking care to avoid looking at the corpses. As she started leafing through the pages with great interest, no one noticed Morrigan's shocked expression.

**xxOOOxx**

One day later, they finally reached Redcliffe to everyone's relief, but they were stopped on the first bridge leading to the village proper by one of its inhabitants.

"Thank the Maker someone arrived! We were beginning to think no one would come!"

"Well, we already know the Arl is sick but-"

"No, you don't get it! We've been attacked by… evil monsters coming from the castle! Every night they come and kill as many of us as they can before dawn! The only reason there's still some of us alive is thanks to Bann Teagan."

"Teagan's here? I didn't expect that," Alistair said with a worried look. "What are these evil monsters you speak about?"

"I don't know, nobody does!"

"We should speak with him. Teagan, I mean. We can sort out this mess with his help, I'm sure."

Complying at the unspoken request, the man standing guard quickly took them to the Chantry building, where the villagers had taken shelter. Whatever was going on in Redcliffe, it had left the villagers in a depressive, desperate mood if the looks on their eyes were anything to go by. There was simply no hope in them, as if they already considered their deaths as certain fate. The group was silent as many in the Chantry stared at them with dull eyes while they walked up to Teagan, who only noticed them after a while.

He had bags under his eyes, belying his sleep deprivation and his clothes sported several tears and wrinkles, having seen better days. Overall, he looked like he only held himself through pure force of will.

"Tomas, right? Who are these people? They're not simple travelers, obviously."

"They arrived just now and well, I thought…"

"I see… Thank you for bringing them to me, then. Greetings, friend, I'm Bann Teagan, Arl Eamon's brother. If I am to be completely honest, you're an odd group but I fear you've come at a bad… wait, Alistair, is that you?" he uttered in shocked surprise.

"Uh, yeah. I'm surprised you recognized me. The last time we met I was covered in mud," he chuckled nervously.

"Covered in mud… you are indeed Alistair, no one apart from us would know that! These… these are wonderful news! We were told all Wardens had been killed, I feared the worst…" he spoke with a relieved tone.

"Yeah well, we're alive," Alistair nodded, gesturing to both Neria and himself. "Not that Loghain didn't try, though."

"Loghain is grasping at straws with his accusations that the Wardens are traitors who killed my nephew, the King. Many in the Bannorn see this, but he still has powerful allies and the squabble between us nobles is tearing the Bannorn and all of Ferelden apart."

"You say that as if it should surprise us," Marcus dryly remarked, focusing Teagan's attention on him.

"A statement more true than it should have any right to be. You look familiar, though. Perhaps we've meet before?"

"Eh, kind of. You must've known my father… Bryce Cousland."

"Maker's breath, you're Marcus? I'm deeply sorry for your family..." he trailed off, not really knowing what to say. The attack on Highever and the Cousland castle had been a secret operation so by now, everyone in the higher spheres and all who knew what to look for were aware of what happened there."I wish we had met in more happy times, if you're looking for my brother. As you might know already, he's gravely ill. The castle's been silent for days, there's no sign of life that we can see: no guards, no responses to our calls, nothing."

"We know that Eamon is ill. We met some of the knights at Lothering and they told us they were trying to find a cure. We need his help –urgently-: without his army and his influence we'll not be able to win over the Landsmeet. We thought we'd come here to see if anyone's found something," Alistair spoke.

"What about these evil monsters Tomas speaks about?" Neria asked. "He's only told us they've driven the village to the edge of destruction,"

"And I fear he's right. They appeared a few nights ago. To be honest, the villagers are lucky I had arrived from Rainesfere some days prior to the first attack to check up on my brother. They are... they are corpses, which come down from the castle every night. We drove them back but many died. Each night they have greater numbers and as you can understand, we fear what's happened in the castle."

"Corpses? How interesting, I actually faced undead before in my life. Kind of. I doubt they are the same kind of undead, anyway," Naruto commented, thinking back on the Edo Tensei jutsu, missing the disbelieving glances his comments garnered.

"Still, the dead don't return to life just like that, trust me on that. The only reason I can come up for their presence is demons. Corpses are usually possessed by minor demons, since they can't tell the difference between the living and the dead," Neria explained. "However, minor demons aren't particularly self-aware. The fact that there's a clear pattern of day-night in the attacks makes me think that there must be a higher demon pulling the threads, thanks to their intelligence and self-awareness."

"It sounds possible. We won't know for sure until we get to the castle but it just might be what's happening here," Solana nodded in agreement.

"Demons?! Maker, this makes it all even worse… How can we even defend ourselves from demons? With everything that's going on in Ferelden, no one has answered my calls for help. Alistair, I hate to ask, but I… Redcliffe really need all the help you and your group could provide."

"Uh," the blond stuttered, suddenly nervous. "Well, don't look at me, Neria's our leader."

"Then I humbly ask you Neria of the Wardens, help us. We will surely die without your help."

"'Tis a pointless setback. Why fight enemies that a bunch of scared civilians are too scared to stand up to?" Morrigan sneered. "Why bother at all with this? We have more pressing matters elsewhere, like getting the dwarves' aid."

"The _basaarebas _speaks truth, for once. I tire of these senseless errands. Helping these people won't help _us_ against the Blight. They are of no consequence."

"Why, it's good to see cold logic applied in this case."

"So what, you'd just leave them to die like that? That's cruel, even for your standards," Marcus flatly remarked.

"Why should I care for a group of faceless individuals who have done nothing for me? My concerns are of bigger scope than their simple dreams for the future. If they're so terrified of fighting for their homes, they are free to leave. It's daytime, nothing will stop them," the Witch of the Wilds callously replied with a scoff.

"Yes, well. Putting aside how quick you are to jump at the chance to send poor innocent people to their deaths, we still need Eamon's support to bust Loghain out of office, support that we can't get if –oh, I don't know- Redcliffe is burnt to the ground." Alistair rebuttal was sharp and cutting and it was obvious he was short of exploding at Morrigan's cruel callousness.

"Alistair is right, Morrigan. We need all the help we can get. Besides, you really wouldn't let everyone in the village to die just like that, right?" Neria asked, giving her a neutral glance. Her fellow mage kept silent for a moment until she let out an irritated breath.

"Ferelden is lucky that almost everyone who needs to get their problems solved has an important asset against the Blight. I'll be waiting outside," she scoffed moodily before quickly leaving the building.

"Excuse her attitude, she's a bad case of cold pragmatism taken to the extreme," Marcus interjected, trying to salvage the situation with Teagan, who could only nod silently with clear reluctance, clearly appalled at the woman's readiness to let them all die.

"I… can see that but it's not really my place to judge who you all travel with, considering the situation in our nation."

"Anything we could do to improve our chances when the corpses strike again?" Neria asked, steering the conversation to subjects less unpleasant.

"Actually… there might be something. Murdock, the mayor of the village, told me that the blacksmith has barricaded himself inside the store and refuses to help us and fix the armors we have for a reason we don't know."

"Such show of insubordination would not happen in the Qun. Yet again, I'm surprised that his nation hasn't fallen completely before."

"Yes, well… Regarding Alistair's words about Eamon's illness, some of the knights that were sent to find a cure for my brother returned. Ser Perth is leading them and perhaps he might need something. I don't really know what else to tell you. Speak with Murdock, the man with the moustache outside. As I said, he's the village's mayor, he might know more," the man advised before walking away to talk with some of the townsfolk.

"Okay, I believe we should go in smaller groups to cover more ground quickly. Sten, Marcus, why don't you two go to the blacksmith and convince him to help? Even if he doesn't want to, you two alone should be able to… persuade him into it. Lyrian, could you go to this Ser Perth and see if there's anything the knights need?"

"Sure, I can do that." The red-headed elf quickly followed Marcus and Sten out of the building.

"Someone should make sure Bodhan and Sandal move to a more secure area. Leliana, could you…"

"Of course, I'm on it."

"Thank you. The rest of us will go and talk to Murdock, see if there's anything else we can do."

Outside, Murdock was yelling at the men with the bows, trying to bolster their morale, though it didn't seem to be working. "Are you Murdock?"

"That I am. You're the Grey Wardens, then? I expected something… better but you'll have to do," the man muttered, looking at them wholly unimpressed.

"We're here to help, aren't we? The least you could do is try to be a little grateful," an annoyed Naruto told him before watching how Sten busted in the blacksmith shop's door and entered, Marcus following him in after pulling a face.

"You're right. Look, I'm sorry; tensions have been high for a while now. It's not easy to keep calm, but I appreciate your help," he apologized after a deep breath. "Morale's very low and I can't blame the men for it. Not gonna lie, tonight might be the last night of our lives. We'll fight for our home though, it's the last thing we can do."

"We can see that but we're here to prevent that from happening. Teagan has already told us what he could. Anything else?"

"Well… there's a dwarf here. His name's Dwyn and I'm pretty sure he's either a mercenary or a black market guy. Thing is, he's got military experience and that would be useful. If you can convince him to put his hairy hide on the line for the village, all the better."

"Alright, we'll see what we can do," Neria assured him before turning back to her companions.

"Seems that there's a mess to clean up everywhere this group goes. Soldier's Peak, the Circle and the Brecilian forest before that … I'm sensing a pattern here," Alistair quipped.

"Must be a gift. Naruto, out of us four, you have the most experience with this kind of situations. What's your opinion on this?"

"From what Teagan has told us, the corpses come down from the castle at night. There's only one path from there to get to the village proper. We have barricades I believe, I won't be difficult to cut off the waves of zombies with them, as long as they hold. Then we only have to take potshots at them until the last one falls."

"I don't know, doesn't it sound too…" Solana trailed off with a frown, trying to find the right word.

"Simple? I suppose it may look that way but the simplest plans are usually the best ones for this type of situations. The more complex you make it, the more chances there are that something will go wrong at some point, besides which, we really don't have much more to work with," he reasoned.

"Uh, fair enough."

"Look at it this way: we have two powerful mages ready to unleash their powers on them, three if you feel like joining on the fun. Everyone else will be there in case they get past the barriers. There's no way we'll fall," he assured them, brimming with confidence.

"They have an army of walking corpses," the brunette remarked, raising pointedly an eyebrow.

"We have a _Qunari_. What else do you want?"

"Sten is strong but I doubt his experience will be as deciding as you're making it out to be. It's kind of surprising you don't include yourself in that statement, to be honest," Neria stated wryly, making him laugh.

"Well, I already consider myself a given asset. With me around, we're gonna stomp over them, no trouble at all! It's just I'm too much of a nice guy to say it out loud if no one else brings it up," he boasted with a grin, ignoring Alistair's amused snort. In his mind, the best part of it all was that his boasts were actually truth instead of mere metaphorical muscle flexing.

"Careful. If you keep that up, your head might just hit the ground because of how big it gets," Neria joked, earning a short giggle from Solana.

"She's got you there!"

Naruto simply rolled his eyes, the smile on his face never wavering. "Anyway, I was planning to scout the village and see if there's anything we can use tonight against the zombies. Anyone wants to come?"

"I'll go with you. I doubt we'll find anything but you never know," Solana mused, quickly taking after him.

With Alistair leaving shortly afterwards to do a check-up on the village of his own, Neria was left alone pondering over their new dilemma. Like Alistair said, it certainly seemed that they had to help out everywhere they went. Just once, it would have been nice to just arrive and get straight to getting the help they needed but alas, it was not to be.

"I see you finally decided to leave. Don't you prefer this fresh air over the stench of self-righteousness crowding the air inside that building?"

"Morrigan."

"Indeed, it is I."

Neria turned to the brunette, who was eyeing Fang a little conflicted before scratching him briefly behind the ears. Morrigan quickly stood up but Neria couldn't deny to being a little surprised by Morrigan's small show of affection towards her mabari, who looked positively disappointed at the brevity of the petting.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about? Apart from being your usual snarky self, of course."

"'Tis a most curious thing, the decisions you take. As I said before, why bother at all with these people? Time and time again you've decided to help those in need when we could have simply ignored them. Why? I want to know your reasoning."

"Don't you see it? Think about it. I know you feel little else apart from contempt for those mages that come from the Circle like me, but if we had left them to die we would have lost their powers for our campaign against the Blight. Who would you prefer to have your back, fellow mages or templars just itching to stick a blade to your back? Besides, there were a few people I just wasn't willing to leave to die."

"While I admit you might have a point, you know that this kind of sentimentalism could –and will- be used very easily against you, I hope."

"I'm aware," she flatly told her. "But despite what you might think, it doesn't make me weaker."

"Doesn't it? I find that hard to believe. Still, as I said, your arguments are partially right, at least. However, what about those you took your time helping out, the ones who weren't important? Why waste precious time and effort for their petty needs, which they are too lazy or incompetent to complete themselves."

"So, you're saying we've should let them on their own?"

"Precisely. Why help someone at all if they're too weak-willed to stand up for themselves? Resolving their problems for them won't make them better persons. It won't help them on the long run. Don't you find it distasteful when everyone we meet seems to expect you to solve their problems as if it's a given? 'Tis a most annoying thing."

"I…" Neria hesitated. She'd be lying to herself if she denied it. Morrigan was right, to an extent. To have everyone depend on you to fix up the mess, to hold you to a pedestal and expect nothing less of perfection… It had started as just a nagging thought that sprung on her from time to time but it had started wearing her the more she thought on it. It seemed as if being Warden superseded what she really was: a nineteen year old girl with the fate of an entire nation on her shoulders.

"Isn't it hard to feel apologetic of Alistair when you think of the entire thing in context?" Morrigan asked with an unpleasant smile.

"I…I'll admit I wish it had been the other way from time to time. I was just a prodigal novice preparing myself for the Harrowing four, five months ago. I really don't know how to lead an armed group; I never had military training after all. I guess it's mostly luck we've done as well as we have so far. Now, people who know I'm a Grey Warden expect me to save them from the Blight, from a fate worse than death. They expect me to pull off the impossible for the simple reason I'm a Grey Warden, someone larger than life. They think my sole presence will make everything bad go away, it makes them think victory is assured… What do they know?" she questioned out loud with sudden bitterness as she gazed at the village.

"I'm sure you now see a little of why I dislike Alistar so. It's hard to be sorry of him for his insecurity issues when this is all laid on the table."

"So that's why you despise Alistair so much? Because you see him as someone too weak to stand up for himself?" Neria asked, quickly dropping the topic of her own insecurity.

"That's… part of it. He's also an insufferable buffoon but you seem to appreciate his clumsy attempts of humor so I will refrain from belittling him in your presence… too much."

"Thank you for your kindness then, Morrigan," Neria grunted through gritted teeth. "Is there anything else?"

The apostate woman nodded curtly before motioning Neria to follow her. Walking away from any prying ears, Morrigan continued. "As I said, I merely wanted to… congratulate you, we could say. Despite having been in the Wardens for less than a year, you've managed to assemble the unlikeliest individuals into something resembling a powerful group. It is a laudable achievement. You shouldn't show such doubts of your own abilities."

"Well… you all don't make it easy but I've done as best as I've been able to. Still, while I'm happy you think that way, is this going somewhere? I'd like to think I know you enough to see you wouldn't just come up and talk without something really meaningful to talk about."

"Indeed; however, before we get to that, I believe you should also stop worrying about what others will think of you."

"Excuse me?"

"'Tis is true, what I say. I'm sure you remember how you put Leliana in place back at Soldier's Peak. 'Twas a most amusing show, I have to say, but you later apologized, something that puzzled me, honestly. Are they Grey Wardens, perhaps? Who are they to question the decisions you make? Are they not following you and Alistair to stop the Blight out of their own free will? The set of morals they have ingrained in their minds from such a clearly corrupted religious organization sickens me but then again, I am but one single soul in this world. However, the point still stands: their own morals are nothing for what the Grey Wardens stand for and I believe they are part of the reason of your own doubts. Anything to stop the Blights, isn't it?"

"…"

"I'm just surprised that despite their somewhat continuous interference at the moment of taking hard decisions, you've been doing an acceptable job at preparing the region for the Blight so far, even if the leadership of our efforts was dumped on your shoulders quite eagerly by a certain templar we know."

Neria groaned, running a hand over her face. "It's all more complicated than that! Is everything about Alistair with you?"

"Despite what you might think Alistair doesn't occupy my mind all day, although if I catch his eyes linger in places they shouldn't one more time, I fear I might have to act," Morrigan said in an irritated fashion. "You're overcomplicating the issue but no, I simply wanted to commend you on being firm on your… beliefs, if anything else." The way she curled her lips in slight distaste was all Neria needed to know about Morrigan's thoughts on her beliefs. "Even if they're… foolishly misplaced, it shows impressive strength of character."

"Okay, well… thanks, I guess."

"There's also one last matter I wanted to discuss with you, however. One I didn't anyone else hearing, less they try to poke their unwanted noses on somebody else's business."

"What is it?"

"I know you have a tome, a black one with a lifeless tree on the cover."

Startled, Neria took a step back. "How did you-"

"Know about it?" Morrigan's smile was chilly. "The book you have –a grimoire-… it's Flemeth's most prized possession. It was stolen from her by a most annoying templar hunter long before I was born but she speaks about the whole incident with great rage even to this day. It didn't occur me at the time, but with the Circle in disarray, it would have been the perfect opportunity to retrieve the tome. Unfortunately, I didn't think about it till the whole business was finished and by then, the templars watched my every move whenever I was inside the Tower. Imagine my surprise when I saw you pulling out the very same book yesterday."

"You're telling me this is your mother's masterpiece? Gods, I never thought… it was just in Irving's personal chest and I was simply curious…" she tried to awkwardly defend herself but Morrigan's amused chuckle stopped her.

"No need to explain. I certainly thought you'd never do something like this but it seems you've proved me wrong," the older woman mused approvingly before giving her a contemplative look. "I assume you've started reading it then?"

"I… yes," the blonde said, not quite sure how to react to a friendly… friendlier Morrigan. "Just the first pages but they're fascinating... I think. I'm not sure why but sometimes I have difficulty reading and then, I just see a blank page when I could've sworn I was reading about a spell or a ritual."

"I am not surprised by that. Mother is really zealous in protecting her secrets. No doubt, theose sad excuses of mage at the Circle wouldn't have known how to deal with it, but I have been taught by her. I know a way around the wards she would've used on the tome; I know the language she would've written in. I certainly would find such a book… very interesting," Morrigan explained. "I am surprised you were even able to glimpse at the tome's content, however briefly. It speaks well of your talent," she complimented Neria.

"What are you planning to do with it, then?"

"Isn't it obvious? Gain more power, of course! I would be more useful to you and your cause! Isn't that what we need, strength and power to defeat our enemies?"

Neria stared at her for a second before she quickly pulled the tome out of her bag and hand it to her. "Here it is."

"You would give it to me like that? Without questioning me further? Aren't you worried about what I might find within its pages? I know Alistair would be," Morrigan sneered.

"Yes, but unlike Alistair, I actually trust you somewhat, Morrigan. You're not afraid to say quite clearly what you think of anything or anyone you see and I can appreciate that, even if I disagree with you. Besides, apart from Solana, no one else is a mage like us and they wouldn't quite understand you as I do, after all the time we've spent together wandering around Ferelden."

Neria's words clearly caught Morrigan off guard, if her slightly shocked look was any indicator. "I see…"

"As you said, you're probably the only one who would get the most use out of it, so there's no real reason for hoarding the book if I can't really read it. However, I'd like to ask you something."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Well, when you're done with the book… Do you- do you think you could teach me some things of what you find?" she asked Morrigan with a hopeful look.

"Share with you Mother's secrets, ones that she didn't want me seeing? What makes you think I would entertain such a thought?" Morrigan asked curiously, arching an eyebrow.

"Well…" Neria started before gulping. Her mouth was so dry suddenly… Why was she nervous? "I realize you're not one who offers knowledge like that freely. If you want, I can teach you what I know about the Arcane Warriors."

"You do realize that I'm not the type to put on some armor, I hope," the other remarked with a wry chuckle, even as her eyes gleamed with interest.

"We both know that's not all there is to it. You've seen the things one can do with the gift. The stone… the elf inside gave me more than impartial knowledge and spells. He gave me memories, a context to everything. Culture, some language, foods… It's all in shambles, of course, but I can work from there. It's not something as _simple_ as putting on some armor." Neria argued passionately. "Are you sure you don't want it?"

'_How clever of her, to offer me knowledge in exchange of knowledge. And I guess I can always keep the best things out of the deal…' _Giving Neria an indulging smirk, Morrigan spoke. "It's a deal, then."

"Really? Well, that's… that's great! Thank you, Morrigan!"

"Yes, yes. Now, leave me be. I'm most eager to see what dirty secrets Flemeth kept in the book," the taller woman muttered before walking off to somewhere more solitary and begin her perusal of the tome. Neria was left there, staring at her retreating companion.

"Is it just me, or did Morrigan give me encouragement buried under a pile of insults and sneers?" she asked out loud. Fang just let out a low grumble before falling silent. "Yes, I know, Fang. Crazy, huh? Who'd have said that there was a heart in there?" she wondered while shaking her head disbelievingly before falling silent for a moment.

"We better get back to work, big guy. We have a village to save."


	15. The terror from Redcliffe

Since Redcliffe got a very nice graphic overhaul in Inquisition, assume that the Redcliffe of this story is the same as the one from Inquisition.

Further notes at the end of the chapter.

Thanks again to my beta **AlekTas** for his marvelous help!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> The usual stuff, as always.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter fourteen<strong>

**The terror from Redcliffe**

_26th of Cloudreach (Eluviesta)_

_Dear diary, it has been several days since my last entry, but it has been a couple of hectic days and there was much to do. _

_The undead threat has been dealt with. The remaining villagers of Redcliffe are safe for now, but they have lost much and the relief of being alive is dampened by the grief to their lost loved ones. Watching the young orphans left behind, numbed by shock, and the haunted looks of men and women who have lost everyone and everything leaves me wondering what I would do in their position. Would I focus on what I've lost or look towards the days ahead? With the ways things are going I have to keep going, But days like these…_

_Perhaps it's easier for a 'parentless knife-ear' as Laniera used to call me. While Irving has become some sort of cross between a father and grandfather figure for me I can't help but ask myself if I would react like these people, or if it's something only visible between real relatives. Even when Irving's fate was unknown I fought on. I focused on the task ahead and kept moving. Does this make me a bad person? That I can compartmentalize like this and stop thinking about my loved ones?_

_I guess I'm afraid of ending like Morrigan and her view on relationships. A cost-benefit deal. Bartered friendliness when the occasion shows, because as much as she tones it down every now and then, one can never tell if it's really genuine. __O__f course, I use the word 'friendliness' loosely here._

_Perhaps what really frightens me is that I find myself jealous of these people wrecked by the terrors of living nightmares. A young boy told me his mother locked him in the closet and drew away the monsters. The description he gave us matched the quartered corpse near their house. He lost his mother and all I can think of is that at least he knows she loved him. And me, what am I? The girl with no memories and no parents, dumped near lake Calenhad like some sort of offering to the templars?_

_The mages at the Tower always said it was to protect me. That it was better the Circle than being abandoned in the woods or being smothered to death with a pillow by a terrified parent… But when I hear the tales Morrigan tells, I can't help but wonder what life would I have led outside the Circle, if I would have found solace in the wilderness and the animals therein, or if I would have grown strong –and callous, detached- like her._

_Perhaps I wouldn't be as out of place as I feel. Perhaps then the corpse wouldn't have got the drop on me like it did. Perhaps I would have been awake the whole fight, not raising speculations about my capabilities_

_I'll never know, I suppose._

_Thankfully, Morrigan was just next to me and was able to get me to safety. I wouldn't have been of much help with the concussion I woke up with. Solana healed it as best as she could, but it's still tender._

_Teagan expressed his gratitude for getting the people through this hellish experience. I'm glad they're okay, and his support will be very much needed. Speaking of Teagan, he commented to me that Bann Loren was raising hell against Loghain and Howe in the Bannorn. Some kind of grudge over what happened at the Sacking of Highever, I didn't quite catch what, though Marcus seemed very interested. Every edge we have in our eventual confrontation will be welcomed. _

_The Hinterlands are mostly abandoned, from what Teagan has told me. Some of its inhabitants came to Redcliffe (it is, after all, supposed to be the most protected city in the area), but many fled further into the Bannorn, trying to get as far away as possible from the Blight. With time, some may come back, but for now, most of the region is an abandoned wasteland. I can't blame them, the darkspawn threat is a serious one and it won't be long before the lands become blighted; I can't say how much though. However, some of the surviving refuges that came to Redcliffe proved themselves and stood with us in the battle. I think I remember a redheaded dwarf with freckles fighting by my side and she did save me once or twice. She was terrific with that bow of hers!_

_We've been keeping vigil at the castle for two days now. Eamon's wife came to the town after the battle and wanted Teagan to go with her to the castle. The whole thing screamed 'trap' and I honestly was surprised to see him actually consider it. Luckily, we managed to talk him out of it. In any case, we discovered the root of the problem once we got there. Turns out Eamon's son is actually a mage and when he fell ill, Connor made a pact with a demon to keep him alive, not really knowing what he was getting into. If that snobbish idiot of Isolde hadn't tried to hide the fact Connor was a mage because of the public shame, all this mess wouldn't have happened. However indirectly, the blood of many is on her hands. _

_Also, guess who's the mage she hired to teach Connor in secret… _

_Indeed. Jowan. We found him imprisoned in the dungeons when we arrived through the mill's secret passage._

_It gets even better. The only reason Jowan's here is because he was sent on Loghain's orders to poison Eamon, or so he says. _

_Just… I know that if I allow myself to ramble, I'll have to strike through a lot of lines, which I would prefer not to (paper -even more so for a journal book- is not cheap in these times).__ I told Irving about his plan, but he did lie to me when he assured me he wasn't a blood mage, and yet I still have this irrational tinge of guilt. I don't know.__ I don't want to deal with this yet. _

_The demon doesn't seem to have a complete grip on Connor –it wavered for a moment- and it quickly fled when we confronted it. We had an argument over how to deal with it and everyone who had an opinion on the matter –that is, everyone- gave it most willingly (as usual, of course). There were some (I will not say who) that advised to simply slay it. It would kill Connor, but the demon would return to the Fade. Despite the logical side of mine that agrees with the quickness of such solution, I'm not about to condone _or_ participate in the murder of a child –no matter how possessed it is. Connor is still in there, we saw it. I will not kill a child like this, not after what we saw in the Circle. There's a chance of bringing him back, so I asked Naruto to send a clone to the Tower to ask for help. He's assured me it would reach the Circle tower in less than a day, but the mages will obviously travel much slower. I suppose he doesn't want to speed things up so the templars don't bother him in case they saw his abilities, though all things considered, they would be a minor, annoying pest at best to him. Would templar abilities even nullify his techniques? I'll have to ask him on that. _

_In any case, we're now waiting for them to arrive._

_I still hope I'm doing the right thing._

_I have also been talking more with Naruto about his life. I'm still a little surprised on how forthcoming he's been with it lately, given that before he was as silent as a grave on those matters, but I think it's because he really wanted someone to confide in. Our standoff at the Tower just brought that about much sooner, I suppose. The things he tells me always defy imagination, as Marcus once said. I'm still disappointed I'll never get to use those powers. It's like dangling out of reach the most succulent meal to a starved condemned! _

_He also asks questions about my life in the Tower. I like that, it makes me think he's coming to care about us after everything that's happened to him, that he's involving himself. I know he's also asked the others about stuff from time to time, and I'd like to think that we're grounding him to reality to a point. I can't help worrying about him. _

_I also tried to get him to talk about this… Yugito (strange name, though his is not better, to be honest). He's refused every time and it has quickly become a taboo topic, as he closes himself off after every attempt. I think it's safe to assume they were together, but he won't budge and inch and will not say anything. __I am, of course, not annoyed with his fixation on a dead girl, not in the slightest. __I'm only trying to help, why can't he see that?_

_What worries me more is _that_ thing inside of him. That's a demon if I ever saw one. The fact that he can keep it at bay by the pure stroke of circumstances is really… (I mean, a cage in a pocket dimension somehow connected to his soul? Seriously?) Well, I don't know, but what if it gains control again? Perhaps that's one of the reasons he was locked away? I'm honestly not sure whether to ask him or not but, whatever that demon was, it dealt with a pride demon like Zod like it was nothing and the implications of such statement… I prefer not to think about them. _

_Speaking of which, I still can't fathom why I was the only one to be able to see through the illusions the demon used. I can't come up of an explanation for it and Naruto doesn't really know that much about Thedas' type of magic to give an educated guess. _

_On a lighter note, Molioris is just around the corner and Leliana has been raving at everyone who would listen to her about how incredible Summerday is celebrated in Orlais. I myself don't see the appeal in dressing in a white gown and being taught at the local Chantry how to be a responsible adult, though, even if the Orlais variation must be a grand and colorful event. Then again, I'm a mage. I wouldn't know how to be a responsible adult, I'm sure. Exact words of Ser Haldred, templar at the Tower. A charming man, indeed. Still… I find pretty amusing the fact that Summerday was previously called Andoralis in honor of Andoral, the Old God of Unity and Slaves… Very ironic, too._

_I caught Alistair staring at that mirror the other day. I think he's going to do it. I don't know what to think about this whole situation but if it's real… Well, I'm happy for him. I don't know why this Fiona decided to contact him just now after all these years, but her reasoning of the Bligth seems believable enough. I only hope it _is_ his real mother; Alistair deserves closure from all the things he's been put through. Not that I'm not going to question her why she abandoned her son in the first place. Which reminds me, if we manage to wake up Eamon, he and I are going to have a not so nice discussion about Alistair. _

**xxOOOxx**

When the door opened, allowing Lyrian and Valena inside the rom, Neria closed her leather bound book that served as her personal journal. She found it helped keep her calm and centered and sometimes, with all the things going on, it was easy to lose track of everything. Writing it down seemed to simplify things in a way and it helped to clear and organize her ideas.

"Ah, I came to check on your bandages, my lady! Lady Solana believed it would be alright by now to remove them," Valena shyly explained at her inquisitive look.

"Ha! If I remember correctly, her exact words were _'You could have removed them at the end of the first day, but yes, you can remove them now'._ Apart from that, I'm just here to give some company to our great leader, savior of towns and right-doer all around," Lyrian joked with an easy laugh, prompting Neria to roll her eyes.

"Valena, you don't have to address me like that, you know. I'm a mage, not a noble. Besides, you're older than me, hearing you say that to me is just… weird," she told Owen's daughter for the umpteenth time, but the low-born girl wouldn't budge, stubbornly shaking her head. Neria and her group had saved Redcliffe and they rightly deserved their respect.

Moving next to her, Valena started to undo the knots that held the bandages of her head in place. Meanwhile, Lyrian prattled on about how nice it was to have a little of down time after the battle, commenting that seeing Marcus and Alistair go at it shirtless during a sparring session was _definitely _a very big plus and Neria decided not to torment the girls with the knowledge of the flushed and starry eyed expression they both had adopted. Of course, her own mind glossed over the fact she had gained a slight flush as well.

"Because, as you should know, when two well muscled guys train together _shirtless_, well… a girl can't say no to a free show." Blinking, Neria wondered whether she should nod in agreement or change the subject. Thankfully, Valena had finally undone her bandages, unbinding her hair, which distracted Lyrian from what she was saying. "Wow, Neri! You look great with your hair down. The ponytail style you always show is good, but you look better like this! Perhaps you should go like this more often," the red-headed elf complimented her.

Snorting, Neria shook her head as she thanked Valena, who left on another assignment. There was still much to be done to rebuild Redcliffe, after all. "Right, because it totally _wouldn't_ fly into my face in a windy day and no one would grab it during a fight."

"Well, perhaps not in battle," her fellow elf conceded after a moment of consideration. "But at camp? Hell yeah! Trust me, I'm sure he'll love the look."

It was hard to pull off a moderately confused look, but the months outside the Circle had been great for getting the experience Neria needed. "Huh… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hah! Nice try, Magic Wonder, but you're not fooling anyone. I can tell. Grew up in the Alienage, remember?"

Her nose twitched. Damn, but was this _hard_! "You're making absolutely no sense, Lyrian."

"Suuure I'm not, keep telling yourself that… Well, whatever. You've been cooped up her far too long, so I'm getting you out. Everyone else's wandering around town, but I think it's Sten's turn to guard the staircase leading to the second floor right now," the redhead told her as she got her out of bed.

"I'm still not sure about having just one-man watches to guard the staircase. What if the demon possessing Connor decides to go on a rampage again? Even worse, what if it decides to not take the staircase at all?" Neria fretted with anxiety.

"Well, it hasn't tried anything during the two days we've been here, so I don't think that will change in a few hours. Besides, Sten ordered Ser Perth and some of the other knights to stand guard in what he described as _'vulnerable points of defense'_. I'm just surprised he even bothered to answer me when I asked, considering he can't see me as a woman if I fight. Qunari are _weird_," Lyrian decided, shaking her head.

"Well, you certainly won't see me arguing that point."

For his part, Fang, happy to see his Mistress finally leave the boring room, barreled through the door in search for something to do. Neria thought about warning the kitchen about the impending raid, but ultimately decided not to. Fang was probably the only thing she was completely vulnerable to, but she just couldn't help it. Before he imprinted on her, she'd never thought she would say something like it, but she'd rather take on a horde of darkspawn a thousand times than being faced with a disconsolate Fang. Besides, he'd stayed with her not leaving her side even once and without even complaining. The big boy definitely deserved a break.

"Come on, oh fearless leader, let's show you how grateful the villagers are for our help!" Lyrian exclaimed as she dragged Neria through the entire castle towards the village proper.

**xxOOOxx**

It turned out the villagers were very grateful and they made sure to let their gratitude to Neria and her group known. They were especially deferent to Neria, since some of her companions had seen fit to inform the villagers of just who was their leader. It was kind of embarrassing to her, but such feelings were quickly pushed aside in regards to her own surprised gratitude. It didn't matter to them she was an elf, it didn't matter she was a mage. The only thing they cared about was how she came with her group of saviors and quickly set things right. They cared that, when none bothered to lift a hand for them against the undead, she and her group came from nowhere and solved the situation, saving them and their families. A group of less than ten individuals no less, which made it all the more sweet when the villagers toasted to them in the tavern as they insulted those fat Lords who had been too busy to help.

It certainly felt rewarding and the feeling of having done something right -something for the people, something that the people were grateful for- was great and Neria couldn't have asked for something better. Walking around Redcliffe allowed them to mingle amongst the survivors. Some had died, but many were still alive and they would fight for their hard-won survival, honoring those they had lost.

Neria had also seen most of the members of her group relaxing around the village after the battle. Morrigan had been engrossed reading Flemeth's grimoire on an outcropping of rock near the river that flowed into Lake Calenhad. Leliana had been regaling whoever wished to listen with folklore tales and songs with the lute Neria had gifted her with. Well, it had been among the bundle of gifts Bodhan had given her as thanks for saving his and Sandal's life, but Leliana _needn't_ know that. She had also complained to Neria that Naruto was nowhere to be seen and he still owed her a long talk. She knew not where the blond was, but she felt pity for him. The glint of hunger for knowledge shining in the bard's eyes told her she wouldn't give up. It was most likely the same reason he was hiding.

Speaking of Bodhan, he had moved into town after all the fighting had died down. The good dwarf had decided to charge a symbolic silver for any type of expensive good the townspeople needed.

Alistair and Marcus had quickly hit the tavern, though the Cousland scion had ultimately left to the castle in order to talk with Teagan, if Lyrian's words were to be believed. Then again, she also told her with the most innocent face she'd ever seen that people had spotted Bella, the tavern maid, eagerly showing the young Warden how grateful she was for her life.

"It involved a great deal of tongue, I'm told," she commented with a perversely delighted expression. Neria entertained for a moment the idea of threatening the Redcliffe woman with bodily harm should she hurt Alistair, but immediately disregarded those thoughts as a product of her affection for her fellow Warden. Despite his flaws and what people thought of him, Alistair could take care of himself perfectly fine.

That is, if what Lyrian was saying was true; it wouldn't surprise Neria if it wasn't.

Solana was… off somewhere, hunting for ingredients for the different potions and poultices they'd need for their travels.

Every one of them enjoyed the moments of relaxation, but they still put in a small contribution with their different skills into the rebuilding efforts, even Morrigan -surprisingly enough, a thought shared by everyone else of their group.

**xxOOOxx**

However, all things come to pass and before long, the magi envoy requested by Neria arrived to Redcliffe, surprisingly led by a rejuvenated-looking Irving. Accompanying the mages were three templars sent to act as bodyguards and watchers. Two of them looked fidgety and they sometimes stared too intently at the mages, their hands twitching towards their sword. However, the Knight-Captain in charge of them looked observant, but ultimately at ease, and made sure to keep an equal eye on both mages and his own fellow templars. Though he didn't know it, he left a standing positive impression on Neria.

The group quickly started setting up everything needed for the ritual. Thankfully, the Circle still had a rather large amount of lyrium supply. Though she still remembered her words at Soldier's Peak, Neria wasn't all that keen on going through with Jowain's proposal of using a blood magic ritual. Isolde might be a bit of a harpy and the entire reason for all the mess in Redcliffe, but from there to being used as a sacrifice to power the ritual…

Well, there was something called disproportionate retribution, after all.

"Who will enter the Fade and confront the demon? We have several choices, but I'd rather my mages not be asked to do it. They have been through much lately and I would prefer not to put them through more strenuous experiences than the ones they're already going through," Irving stated with an apologetic glance to Neria, who nodded in understanding.

The elf looked towards Solana and Morrigan, the other mages of their group.

"Do any of you two want to go?"

"You already know my opinion on this matter, but… I will not refuse if you ask me to go," Morrigan assured the elven Warden with a frown.

"Me neither, I don't have a problem with it. Your choice, Neria."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Neria thought over their possibilities. Morrigan and Solana were acceptable choices and she was sure they would be able to banish the demon without problem. However, though it was left unspoken, she was pretty much the leader of their group and the responsibility was hers, after all.

"I will be the one to go," she proclaimed with resolution.

"Very well, if that's settled, let us begin the ritual."

**xxOOOxx**

The part of the Fade under the control of the demon possessing Connor was noticeably smaller than that of Sloth's, though it still was the Fade and bizarre forms and architecture were plenty to be seen. At the very least, walls _didn't_ fold into themselves to extend the corridors and one didn't go through room that for all intents and purposes were upside down. At one point, she also came across something resembling the conscience of Connor's father. It was a little disturbing, but if Connor had truly bargained with the demon to save his father's life, it was likely he was the real deal. She was sure the clueless boy hadn't even been aware he was striking a bargain with a demon. Knowledge about spirits and demons were limited at best, and outside the Circle they were mostly seen as an abstract notion of the dangers mages presented.

In any case, several demons tried to trick her and sway her mind, but once that type of approach failed, they resorted to attempts of killing her. However, her years of learning and the recent events at the Circle had taught her a lot about dealing with demons and she was able to go through them without excessive effort. If she was to be completely honest, the demons under the command of the Desire demon –at least, she was quite sure it was a Desire demon, considering Connor's purpose and intent- were weaker than those of Sloth's and there was a noticeably lesser number of them, enough so that she was able to deal with them on her own.

Then again, there were some who theorized the demons' hierarchy scale made more sense if they followed the parameter of the danger they posed and not their individual power. Of course, this being the Fade, battles meant more on the lines of mental battle on her part. It certainly took the phrase 'fighting with the mind' to another level.

Nonetheless, Connor's soul and wellbeing were at risk and with such stakes, Neria quickly reached what she supposed was the demon's Inner Sanctum. She could see the demon ahead, waiting for her, and she felt an inwardly feeling of smugness at being right –it _was_ a Desire demon, after all.

"Well then… time to face the music."

**xxOOOxx**

"**Enough of this, no more illusions, mage. I suspected you to be powerful, but you proved it today. End this senseless fighting that brings us nothing and let us converse instead."** Its words were soft, calm and sedative and Neria warily stared at the horned female form they always seemed to adapt. She was alert for any signs of danger but she was confident she could deal with everything she did.

"You do know that anything you say will be useless, right?"

"**How can one truly know that unless they try? You are here. We're talking. You piqued my interest since the moment you arrived here, to my playground, creature. You still do." **

"What about Connor? Even if you got to feel the real world, he's not trained. He'll be useless to you," she demanded to know, tense.

The desire demon slowly nodded, tilting its horned head to a side. **"He is. And he isn't."**

"What does that even mean?

"**It hardly matters,"** Desire stated calmly. **"His strong desire for keeping alive his father, along with his raw, untapped power, cut straight through the Veil and resonated in the Fade. His raw, pure desire made such a thing possible," **the demon stated, sweeping one arm around the place, the Fade reacting to the gesture as the recreated room of Redcliffe's castle shifted visibly. "**It called, and I answered. I merely provided the canvas, the template of what he wanted. Is that such a bad thing? Connor is happy and there's nothing else to do about it. I provided something he wanted and I received something I wanted. We're one now and as such we experience the world, learning and feeling. But here… it's only you and I here."**

"I can see where this is going and there's nothing I could want from you," Neria spat out, not even noticing the small step backward she had made. The demon, for its part, smiled enticingly at her, not offended in the least.

"**Are you sure about such a claim? Everyone wants something, whether they know it or not, whether they admit it to themselves or not. Regardless of that, the boy soul's mine. I legitimately gained it but that's what you came here for, isn't it? We could fight for it, or we could **_**negotiate**_** for it like civilized beings. I very much prefer the second option,"** the desire demon commented as it turned to stare for a few moments at the vast blackness of the Fade.

Stunned, Neria shook her head. "I can believe what I'm hearing… You're treating Connor's soul like it's a mere… _good_ to barter with. You can't possibly think I'll let you get away with it –with everything you've done- just like that, do you?"

The scantily clad demon turned again to face the Neria and the mage had to actively focus at her horned head to avoid staring at its jiggling breasts in obscene interest. **"Why not?"** the demon of desire personified questioned, looking positively confused. **"Why go through all this trouble to preserve such… meaningless soul? He's not important in the face of the greater threats the waking world is afflicted with. Why bother at all? I would advise against appealing to my conscience. I'll never feel guilty for whatever I've done, which would make any punishment you inflict on me useless. I don't go against my own nature."**

Neria looked away, trying her best to ignore the increasingly reasonable voice in her head that agreed with the demon. Of what importance was Connor's soul really, after all? It wouldn't help them to win the Blight. In case they managed to heal Eamon, he would be forced to help with the Blight. If, no, _after _they'd won, he would have several years with his family before the demon claimed what _was_ rightfully hers. Wardens did what they had to, right? Eamon believing his family was alright would remove something else for him to be concerned about, improving by whatever small amount their chances.

And besides, it's not like they couldn't finish the demon at a later time, right?

Gritting her teeth, Neria shook her head. "That doesn't matter. It's the right thing to do," Neria rebuked.

"**It does matter, I believe. Quite a bit, in fact. It's not about what's right or wrong, it's about whether you're willing to talk or not. Are you?"** The demon took several steps towards her, but Neria didn't visibly react to it.

"I… I'm willing. Say your piece," the mage finally conceded. Listening to her offers couldn't hurt, after all. It didn't mean she'd agree to anything she would say, in any case. The demon gave her a beautiful smile and she found it easy to mirror the action.

"_**Excellent**_**. I always enjoy a sensible conversation and reasonable negotiations, whenever possible,"** Desire sounded and looked visibly thrilled and Neria couldn't help but stare at the hauntingly beautiful mane of purple flames atop her head. **"The boy is powerful for his age, which is the reason I do not wish to lose my hold over him. With time, he could grow into his newfound power. Should we agree on a deal, I'd leave the boy alone… for now. However, I would retain the contract we made and when he's grown up, I may claim what is mine. Keep in mind that only **_**might**_** happen and many years from now,"** the demon explained. **"In exchange, I would give you something of your preference, something you desire. As a mage, you're intimately more familiar with us than most. You know we keep our bargains as such is our way and you know I do not lie. Knowing that, what say you?"**

Neria bit her lip, thinking about her options. The demon's deal actually sounded like a pretty good one. There wasn't anything assuring her she would claim Connor's soul. She might as well forget him years after this moment. It did make a lot of sense to her, but…

"I don't know…" she started, unsure of herself.

"**We both benefit from it. Is that not the essence of a deal? Who knows, if you are smart, you might even benefit more than expected,"** the desire demon told her with a warm smile, with Neria nodding to her absently.

"And… what are you offering me, exactly? How do I even know you would be able to give me what I wanted if I choose something?"

"**If offer many things, in accordance to your many desires… And you know you would receive whatever you wished, our deals are always honored. No matter the time it takes,"** were the demon's enticing words, as she gave Neria an entirely too honest smile. Neria's throat felt inexplicably dry.

"Oh? What are my desires, then?"

"**Power. Knowledge. Love, Pleasure. All these things and more. Tell me, creature, what do you desire?"**

"Well… is there any specific… reason for those?"

She was stalling and they both knew it but she couldn't help it, her body felt like a burning sun and her head felt fuzzy. Concern about the demon's closeness manifested in her mind, but the notion of putting a sizeable distance between them, now that they were so close, amounted to perhaps one of the most stupid and illogical ideas she had ever had.

Desire's chuckle sent her pleasant shiver coursing through her body. It felt like elegant fingers slowly running over your skin, barely grazing the surface and eliciting all kind of promised, forbidden pleasures.

"**We both know the reasons, my lovely mage. You desire knowledge; it's something intrinsic to your being. Soldier's Peak, the ruins in the Brecillean forest... Even way back to your years in the Tower, with its amazing library, the towering shelves filled with untold secrets. Each time, your hands quivered in excitement when you thought about what secrets you might find in these places. Each time, all of your being longed with the promise of forbidden and arcane knowledge. It's no wonder you felt so giddy when you discovered the arts of the Arcane Warriors. Nothing would have stood between you and them had been they so foolish to do so."** Her voice was the only assured thing in her mind, as the demon circled her, pacing slowly.

An image of what could be sprung to her mind. A possibility, one of many, of her surrounded by hundreds of books in a dimly lit and sparsely furnished room. She'd be there, scribbling furiously some notes and consulting a book next to her from time to time. A feverish look, as if gripped by an irresistible and maddened urge.

The image in her head vanished, nothing more than black wisps of figment thoughts. Neria breathed slowly, crushing the lingering need to have it backandto replace the horrid feeling of hollowness.

"**But we also know **_**why**_** you crave knowledge, yes? A reason that you never revealed to anyone, not even to Irving, precious as he is…"** Desire continued and this time, terror gripped Neria, but it merely felt to her as if trying to hold onto a piece of wet soap, as vague is it was. **"Don't be surprised, my dear. Your desires are laid bare to me… but don't worry, I won't tell a soul. Your many secrets are safe with **_**me**_**,"** she breathed in Neria's ear, making her shudder, before stepping back.

"**Your desire for knowledge is merely misdirection, is it not? Just… a means to an end, that end being your desire for power. Oh **_**yes**_**, don't deny it, it can't be hidden from me. You want power. I could give it to you, you know. Do you want to know why Blood magic is so feared and reviled? It's because very few know or understand its most complex mechanics. Regardless of the reasons, its stigma pales in the wake of those truly determined… or those that simply don't care about the opinion of others. I wonder, is that what you ultimately want? I can give you that, if you wish, you only have to tell me. Imagine it, no one would be able to lift a finger against you; you'd be able to bend the entire world to your will… You could be the storm that changed the world. Perhaps be the one that saved it from the darkness,"** she mused.

Neria tried to speak, to deny it, but her own mind betrayed her, conjuring another vision of what could be appeared in her mind, spurred by the promises woven around her. A great hall, with her seated upon an ornate throne. The crown resting on her head would be beautiful and gleaming with the shine of several precious jewels. A stony expression on her face, regarding the rows and rows of people swearing allegiance to her and only her. Ancient robes of power woven around her. Her contempt would be palpable to those still unbound. Their status wouldn't matter: kings, queens, nobles, mages, scholars, magisters, peasants… they all would bow to _her_. There would be recognized friends and associates between the masses: fellow apprentices from her years at the Circle, some of her companions during her travels around Ferelden like Alistair or Lyrian… Naruto would be there, standing behind her and partially hidden among the shadows, as her faithful protector. Irving would be there, looking at her with a proud smile.

They all would bow to her and she would be Queen of All, not evil or dark, but beautiful and terrible, fair and dreadful at the same time.

"_**Or**_** perhaps you wish for something else? Those who you surround yourself with… you doubt them, don't you? You fear they will leave you, abandon you in your darkest hour. Perhaps what you long most is their approval… their love? My, you're such a delicious bungle of desires… I'm quite tempted to keep you all to myself, creature,"** Desire crooned amusedly.

Another brief vision assaulted her; this time of the friends and companions she led fighting an endless sea of darkspawn back to back, triumphing against all odds before seeing them surrounding a small bonfire, joking and laughing. Even Sten and Morrigan were there, with small smiles on their faces. Morrigan looked quite beautiful with a genuine smile, Neria absently thought.

"**So many choices, so many decisions. Who even knows which one would be the correct one? However, if you so wish, I could offer you Pleasure. It is, after all, something simple, without the complexities of your world and one can always find pleasure in the oddest places. I dare say I could even show you unmatched pleasures, not found anywhere else,"** Desire whispered to her, her voice drawing her in as she enticingly traced the line of her jaw with a long nailed finger. The demon breathed in her scent and unashamed, briefly fondled one of her breasts as she gave Neria the warmest smile she'd ever received.

"**So now you know your options… What do you choose? What do you desire over everything else, my lovely mage?" **

Neria let out a small breath. She now knew what to her staff, she smiled at the demon.

"Yes, I want you to-"

However, before she could even utter what she'd been yearning for, a paused, gravelly deep drawl broke through the momentum built with a clear tint of amusement, demanding their undivided attention.

"_**My, my,**_** look who is here and in such an interesting situation. I hope you both don't mind me butting in? I **_**so**_** would love to catch up with you, mage." **

**xxOOOxx**

Awareness came from one second to another and Neria awoke with a half-uttered gasp. It took her a few seconds to register she was once again in her body, stretched onto one of the long seating banks for the dining tables. Sitting up, she groaned as she felt a brief feeling of nausea plaguing her before it slowly started to fade away.

"Neria, I see you've returned. It took longer than we expected. Is everything alright?" Irving's voice was laced with wary concern as he approached. Everyone else had moved closer once they saw her awake once again, wanting to know how had things gone.

"I- ugh. The demon was… trickier than I thought it would be, thus my delay," she said, missing the subtle tensing from the templars in the room. "However, I dealt with the demon. Connor should be…"

"Mother? What's going on?" Connor's high pitched voice drowned out Neria's as he stumbled hesitatingly through one of the doors leading to the stairs to the second level. He looked at everyone in the main hall with a slightly fearful look as he took in the silent room and the intense gazes of everyone focused on him. He looked torn on whether he should stay rooted on the spot or bolt immediately towards the safety of his mother and Uncle Teagan's presence.

Isolde's anxious and wavering voice asked the question that everyone wanted. "C-Connor, is that really you?"

"I- yes. The scary lady… I think she's gone, I don't hear her anymore. I only wanted to help Father when he fell sick. I didn't know she'd... turn everyone. Honestly, I didn't! Is he… Is Father going to be okay?" Connor meekly asked, squirming nervously on his spot as he stared at his feet. Leliana had to pinch herself from outright squealing at such display.

Isolde threw herself at her son, bawling as she hugged him tightly. Though startled, Connor smiled as he relished in the contact with his mother, enjoying her warmth as he hugged her back. He was unmindful of everyone else, as they had begun to leave the hall in order to give mother and son some space.

Steering Neria with him, Teagan took her to one of the small anterooms annexed to the main hall with the stairs to the second floor. "Warden, I can hardly imagine… I understand little of magic matters, but tell me, is my nephew safe? Is he truly free of the demon?"

Neria nodded resolutely. "Yes, I dealt with it. I assure you, Connor is free. That demon will never possess him again. I made sure of that."

She honestly expected a thank you, not a very heartfelt hug from the noble. "Maker, I will never be able to thank you enough, my lady. Connor is… our family has lost too many members already; losing Connor too would have been a terrible blow. Had my brother Eamonn been awake, he'd surely have promised you all the help you need. At the very least, Rainesfere will always welcome the Wardens with open arms," he assured Neria with a grateful smile.

"I… uh… I don't know what to say, my lord," she blushed, trying to find the right words in the middle of her fumbling. He was nobility at the end of the day, after all. "I deeply thank you for your generosity. We'll need every bit of help we can find against the Blight, but I'm happy we were able to help your family."

And yet, she wondered with a faint sense of longing if her parents would have been as concerned for her safety if she had gotten in a similar situation, had she known her family.

"Your humbleness does you credit, my lady. I'm glad you arrived when you did. I don't want to think what would have happened had you arrived one day later… it almost seems the Maker answered to our pleas for once. Perhaps I might have to start praying more fervently from now on, after all," Teagan commented with a rueful smile.

Though Neria didn't believe in the Maker, she kept a blank face as best as she could. It had been a grueling day for everyone and she wasn't about to begrudge Teagan the comfort his faith provided with a heated discussion about whether the Maker truly existed or not. Connor was safe and that's what really mattered.

"About that, I feel you should know that-"

The door to the hall opened, cutting Neria off, as Connor and Isolde stepped through the doorframe. He shyly stood behind his mother as she led him towards them. "This is the woman I told you about, son! She's a mage, like you! Come on, you know what to do," she encouraged her boy, pushing him towards Neria, who gave them a quizzical look.

"I… Mother said you healed me, even though I don't remember much… Well, uhm… thank you, lady Warden!" he blurted out.

Laughing softly, Neria crouched down next to his level and give him a small smile. "My name is Neria but you're very much welcome, Connor. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"You bet! I mean, of course!" he hastily backtracked with a stricken look after realizing he'd made a blunder, but she just grinned.

"Don't worry, Connor. I won't tell your father and I'm sure your mother or your uncle won't, either," she assured him as she tucked a hair lock behind her ear, making him gasp.

"Mother, do you see it?! She has pointed ears like the other elves!"

An embarrassed Isolde just nodded. "I'm sorry, Warden. He's always had a fixation with elven ears."

"But Mother! Aren't they pretty? The lines in her face are very pretty, too! Our elves don't have them!" Connor nodded to himself as if he'd found one of the absolute truths of life, and Neria couldn't help it. She laughed. Despite the comments about the elves, Connor's innocence was endearing and it reminded her of the times she had to take care of the younger apprentices –mere kids- back at the Tower.

Though the reminder of their final demise quickly sobered her merriment, she still managed to put up a warm smile for Connor. "Why, thank you for the compliments. You are very dashing yourself."

"Mother says one should always compliment a lady, even if you don't believe what you say. But it's true this time!" he hurried to tell her before looking very pleased with herself. Just then, he yawned.

"Oh, Connor, if you felt sleepy, you should have said it. Let's get you to bed and you'll wake up all refreshed in the morning," Isolde fretted over her son, ignoring his stubborn denials about being sleepy as she sent glares at Teagan, who was failing miserably at trying to hide his mirth at Connor's last comment.

With Isolde and Connor finally gone, Teagan let out a short chuckle. "The family will be less lively with him around. I won't even get to spoil him rotten…" he muttered with a tinge of melancholy. "You seemed quite good with kids there, thinking ahead for when you have some already?" he suddenly teased her.

Though she could tell it was just an obvious attempt at changing the topic, it still managed to leave her as a spluttering mess for a moment. "I am certainly not considering such a thing right now!"

"That's a shame. If you'll pardon my boldness, I dare say whoever gained your interest would be incredibly lucky," he complimented her with an honest smile.

Now, let it be known that few had sweet-talked to her like that in the Circle, but she most certainly did not _swoon _with that statement.

However, Neria's face soon lost all levity as she winced, Looking at Teagan, she sighed. "I didn't want to say it in front of them, but Connor's life will be much more complicated, now that he's a mage."

"I see… the bad news never end, do they?" the man dryly asked with an edge of weariness.

Neria gave him a sympathetic grimace. She could understand where he was coming from. "I'm afraid not, Bann Teagan. You see, as soon as we come into their powers, us mages go into the Fade every time we sleep. Well, it would be more accurate to say that everyone goes into the Fade when they sleep; it's just that only mages are conscious when they do so –except for dwarves, they don't dream, so they can't go into the Fade unless forcefully brought there. Point is, Connor will start to go into the Fade from now on and will be able to remember it."

"But… Maker, does that mean he might still be possessed again?!" Teagan with a horrified whisper, though it lessened when Neria shook her head.

"No, not for some time at least. Connor has been… purged, for lack of a better word, of the demon possessing him. The demons can somehow know this, they'll see it in him when he goes to the Fade and will leave him alone for a while, as they will understand that he somehow survived possession. They are not going to try anything for a while, but they will come back and try again."

"I… well, is there nothing we can do about it?"

"Don't worry, by the time they try again, Connor should be as safe as one could be in the Circle, where he'll get lessons to control his gift _and_ resist the demons' lures." She didn't reveal just how messed up the Circle situation currently was. She didn't want to destroy Teagan's relieved mood. "However, that's not all. Though we saved Connor, it's not like his possession never happened. Two souls, essences, cohabited for a time in a single body. He's still Connor, but he may have changed a bit. Perhaps he will now show an odd quirk or something like that, we can never be sure."

"I see. Thank you for your explanation, then, Warden Surana. I really appreciate all you've done for us." Teagann sighed. "Isolde will not certainly like the fact that her son will have to be sent to Kinloch Hold," he commented, before preventing Neria to speak with a shake of his head and a sudden scowl. "I can't say I find much sympathy for her in my in this moment, however; her foolishness, no matter how driven by motherly feelings, almost cost us Redcliffe, it _has_ cost Redcliffe many lives. I will not allow her to be pardoned from her harsh punishment, one fully earned," he promised with a thunderous expression before blinking. "As soon as my brother wakes, of course," he amended.

The Bann then gave Neria a wry grin. "Forgive me for my little outburst, my lady, the blood flows strongly in these circumstances. Though my brother is still sick, you've done much already for us. Though I know I'm already starting to sound redundant after saying it so many times. Still, I couldn't have you go without a reward in good conscience. Your companions too, of course. Tonight, you all will have a feast worthy of your deeds, my lady, this I promise! After all, I know there's a Blight going on and you're risking your lives to save us all in Ferelden," Teagan proclaimed, already going to fetch the servants that were still alive.

**xxOOOxx**

That night they all dined together accompanied by Teagan, who was playing his part of the gracious host. Though the magi envoy had retreated fairly soon to their assigned chambers –they were to return to the Circle as soon as possible, after all, and Connor with them-, everyone else was on high spirits, talking animatedly about a broad number of topics. For example, Naruto was exchanging folklore tales with Marcus and Lyrian about their respective homes, and Alistair was telling Solana every story he'd had with the other Wardens.

Even Morrigan was talking to Leliana without a sneer on her face! Well, she mostly used monosyllables but it was still a start.

Neria herself was having a chat with Bann Teagan "It seems everyone is eager to partake in on the merriment. I can't say I dislike this, though. This is just a small compensation for all for all you've done for these people, milady."

"If we had arrived sooner, we could've done more, earlier. It's still not done, however, Arl Eamon has yet to awaken."

The Warden… no, Neria (now that they had shed blood and bled together, it felt uncomfortable in a detachedly cold way to still keep calling her simply Warden in his mind, he realized), fidgeted in her seat, looking decidedly put out. "You don't have to call me that, you know. Milady, I mean. I grew up at the Circle of Magi, I'm a mage. I'm not really lady material."

"You'll forgive me for my rebuking, but I doubt that. Sometimes such pronouns as Milady are merely proper courtesy, but it has greater connotation in this case. Though many simply take our status for granted, the nobleness of one's soul doesn't come from the blood in our veins and you were –are- nobler than most in what mattered," he vehemently told the young mage, who surreptitiously glanced towards to others to see if any was listening in. Thankfully, everyone was too engrossed in their own conversations.

Turning back to him, she shyly smiled in grateful acceptance. "I… thank you, Teagan. I don't know what to say."

"Nothing needs to be said, my lady. If you don't mind, I'd love to know more about magic and mages without Chantry bias. Kinloch Hold is the place of learning my nephew will go to, after all," he prompted her with a genial smile.

"I'd love to!" Neria breathed out as she smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>

So, another chapter. As you can see, it's been several months since the last one. In that time, my beta, AlekTas, and I worked on the revamped version of the prologue, which I said long ago I would do at some point. Since you probably didn't notice, a lot of content that didn't really have an impact on the overall story has been removed. The end result is a much shorter introduction but, ultimately (I'd like to think), a better piece of work than previous versions.

Apart from that, I started working on this chapter, but the end of Naruto (manga) arrived and I couldn't find a single reason to write for some time after seeing the fantastically retarded epilogue of the manga, my own opinion on pairings notwithstanding. That, plus the fact I'm usually bogged down with exams and assignments from uni/college…

I wanted to get Redcliffe out of the way before it became too big, so I didn't feature the zombie fight and went for more character interaction. Dropped one or two obvious hints as well... Also, the journal entry was supposed to have several lines striken through to give a more organic feel to it, but FF's doc manager is pure simplistic crap and won't give me the option, so I had to tweak it a little.

Inquisition has given me a lot of ideas to work with, at least.

Also, we've surpassed the 100k+ views mark! Thank you all, this wouldn't have been possible without you!


End file.
